Vientiane Times/ANN - Two Lao nationals living in Vientiane have been infected with coronavirus (COVID-19) after their tests, released at about 9 pm on March 23, were shown to be positive, a task force announced yesterday.

The 36-year-old female tour guide and the 28-year-old male worker from Crowne Plaza Vientiane Hotel are being treated at the 150 Bed or Mittaphab Hospital.

But they are in good condition, Deputy Head of the National Taskforce Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control, Associate Prof. Dr Phouthone Muongpak told a press conference yesterday. The two infected Covid-19 were among the 131 suspected cases.

The infection broke months of the nation’s coronavirus-free record. Laos was the only country among 10 Asean members that had no infections until the two confirmed cases.

After learning they associated with foreign virus victims, the two Lao patients came to see doctors and tested positive.

The female tour guide escorted a group tour of 31 foreigners who arrived in Laos on March 7, from outbreak countries in Europe and roamed around many Lao provinces on a tour bus. They visited locations including Buddha Park in Vientiane, Vangvieng in Vientiane province, and Luang Prabang province.

The European tourists left Laos on March 11 and continued their journey to neighbouring Cambodia, where they were found having COVID-19-like symptoms. Two of them tested positive.

“We were informed (about the infection of the tourists),” Dr Phouthone said, adding that the tour guide had her health checked after learning about the infection of the tourists.

Meanwhile, the hotel worker travelled to neighbouring Thailand, where hundreds of people were reportedly infected, to attend a seminar in Bangkok.

 The worker returned to Laos on March 9. After having flu-like symptoms, the man went to get tested by doctors at Mittaphab Hospital.

Lao doctors have been trained and exchanged lessons learnt from foreign countries concerning the treatment of virus patients, despite there being no drug to cure the disease.

“We have experts from the World Health Organisation (working with us),” said Dr Phouthone, who is also Deputy Minister of Health.

Lao health authorities also have close coordination with health authorities in China, who have good experience in controlling the virus and treating patients.

Although there is no particular cure for the respiratory disease, many patients in other countries have recovered. At least 102,000 patients have recovered from the total worldwide confirmed cases of more than 300,000. The death toll from the pandemic reached 14,510 as of yesterday, according to the World Health Organisation.

Stricter control measures are expected to be announced and enforced following the confirmed cases in Laos, Dr Phouthone said.

“Measures will be updated and tightened accordingly,” he told Lao and foreign media.

Health officials are tracking places and accommodation where the European tourists and two Lao patients visited as well as people they had close contact with in an attempt to control the outbreak.

“We have our teams in the provinces to collect detailed information,” Director of the  National Centre for Laboratory and Epidemiology, Dr Phonepadith Xangsayarath told the press conference.

Those having close contact with the patients need to observe self-quarantine measures at home for 14 days. Workplaces and accommodation of the patients will be cleaned to kill any possible virus that may have originated from the patients.

Laos has been intensifying preparations for a potential widespread outbreak with the government also mobilising support and assistance from development partners and friendly countries.

Greater control efforts escalated as fears grew of a possible widespread outbreak following the return of thousands of Lao workers from neighbouring countries in the last few days, notably from Thailand where workplaces were shut down to contain the virus leaving the employees jobless.

More than 26,000 people, mostly Lao workers, have crossed the border via international checkpoints between Laos and Thailand. Some Thai and Vietnamese nationals were also crossing the border.  Health authorities scanned the incoming workers for virus symptoms and advised them to observe restriction measures at home. “We have distributed restriction manuals and face masks to them,”  Dr Phouthone said.