Severe Covid-19 cases dip as vaccination presses on
THE vaccination programme has brought down the number of Covid-19 patients with severe symptoms, said Minister of Health Mam Bun Heng, adding that new cases have been displaying mild symptoms only.
“We have noticed that while the number of Covid-19 patients remained high, not many of them possessed severe symptoms,” he related after visiting the emergency ward for Covid-19 patients at Preah Ang Duong Hospital on May 24.
“Those who passed away were mostly elderly people or chronically ill.”
In late April, China donated 88,000 boxes of traditional medicine Lianhua Qingwen capsules to the ministry to help treat certain symptoms and disease by “detoxifying and lowering the temperature in the lungs”.
The medicine is administered in cases of flu, fever, muscle soreness, blocked nose, runny nose, cough, headache and sore throat.
Bun Heng, who appreciated the gesture, said the medicine helped patients with mild symptoms to recover quickly from runny nose, cough and fever.
“Covid-19 patients who are being treated at the mild treatment centres got better fast due to the use of Chinese traditional medicine. Not many people progressed to severe symptoms.
“There were only a few cases where poorly patients deteriorated to even worse conditions. Just one or two people who developed severe symptoms were sent to the hospital for critical care,” he said.
Although many patients have recovered and the infection rate has decreased
slightly, he reminded people to continue observing all health measures.
Separately, Bun Heng told participants of the 74th World Health Assembly, held virtually on May 24, of Cambodia’s vaccination target of 10 million people by June 2022.
“More than two million people have been inoculated, including health workers, the elderly, foreigners residing in Cambodia, and high-risk group.
“We did a great job containing the virus in 2020 by recording less than 500 cases without any lives lost. However, we are no different from other countries where community transmission happened,” he said.
”Our common goal is to end the pandemic and it requires solidarity and cooperation. Cambodia will continue to work with every country, the World Health Organisation and development
partners for a better future.
“This is to achieve a healthy and safe world. Cambodia strongly supports the leadership and facilitation of the WHO in the Covid-19 response,” Bun Heng said.
On May 26, Vietnam Embassy donated funds and medical equipment including two million masks, 100,000 of N95 masks and 800 respirators to the ministry to prevent the spread of Covid-19 virus.
Bun Heng, who received the donation from Vietnam Ambassador to Cambodia Vu Quang Minh, viewed the aid as a valuable humanitarian assistance to Cambodia.
“This humanitarian aid affirms our strong friendship, solidarity and cooperation between both countries,” he said.
As of May 26, Cambodia recorded a total of 26,989 Covid-19 cases with 19,772 recoveries and 190 fatalities.