Vietnam has recorded 24 Covid-19 patients with severe clinical conditions as of August 17, accounting for 5.1% of those under treatment, Zing.vn reported, citing the Treatment Subcommittee under the National Steering Committee for Covid-19 Prevention and Control.

Of the 24 severely ill patients, five must use respiratory support such as mechanical ventilation or oxygen; two are on extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO).

Most of the seriously ill patients were infected in the community and are related to the Covid-19 outbreak in hotspot Danang. Illustrative photo.

Regarding treatment, 20 cases are in very severe prognosis, of them seven are at risk of fatality.

Most of the seriously ill patients were infected in the community and are linked to the Covid-19 outbreak in Danang.

The Health Center of Hoa Vang district in Danang city is treating 177 cases, the largest number of active Covid-19 patients.

Currently, Vietnam has recorded 639 Covid-19 patients who have been infected in the country. Of them, the number of new cases linked to Danang from July 25, the day when the first locally-transmitted infection was confirmed after more than three months, is 499. 467 out of 983 Covid-19 patients have been cured, accounting for 49% of the positive cases.

Vietnam has also recorded 24 Covid-19 fatalities. They all have many pre-existing diseases such as heart disease, diabetes, blood pressure, kidney failure, cancer, among others.

Talking to local media on July 31, Deputy Minister of Health Nguyen Truong Son said that when infected with Covid-19, people at high risk of aggravation are the elderly (over 60 years old) with existing diseases, obesity or exhaustion.

Son said that this group of people with Covid-19 will see their immunity weaken, enabling the virus to grow in the body and damage their organs faster than in younger patients.

An expert in geriatrics said that the elder's resistance often decreases compared to other age groups. If they have underlying diseases, the SARS-CoV-2 virus will cause chronic disease to be exacerbated. Therefore, patients are likely to die.