Dragon Diaries – Living In A Nation that Beat the Virus

It’s Sometimes Dificult

To watch the news, catch up with friends on Facebook or even have a conversation with people back home. Everything seems to devolve into a political stance on masks, protests and the virus. Masks save lives, they don’t work, the virus is a lie, it is not as bad as it seems, it is worse than it seems. Then the name calling begins, you’re an idiot, you’re a sheep and on and on. I simply wanted to offer everyone my experience of living in a country that beat the virus.

No politics involved, no motives. Only what I have experienced and what I have gone through over the past 5 months. What has been at times requested, at times required, and at times demanded of myself and others in Vietnam’s fight to beat back and conquer the pandemic. I want to preface this with the reality that choice does not factor into any of this. When the government makes a decision about lockdowns or quarantines, there is no discussion and compliance is demanded. There are positives and negatives to how this played out, I just want to give you my experience.

Where We Stand Today

As of July 23 2020, Vietnam has had 412 total confirmed cases. The first case was discovered on January 23. Of those cases 365 have recovered. There are currently 47 active cases who are quarantined in hospital. Vietnam has incurred zero deaths due to Covid-19. 71.6% of the total cases were imported. Meaning that they were either Vietnamese citizens who became infected and were repatriated for treatment. Or they flew into Vietnam already and unknowingly infected. The remaining 28.4% were patients who were infected by community transmission, meaning they were infected in Vietnam.

The Beginning

The first two cases to arrive in Vietnam were admitted to Cho Ray Hospital in Saigon on January 23. A father and son of Chinese nationality. The father had traveled to Vietnam from Wuhan, China, to visit his son living in Saigon. The pair were isolated quickly, contact tracing was instituted and an infection cluster never materialized. But the event immediately set the Vietnamese Ministry of Public Health’s pandemic response protocol into action. Before the third case was discovered, the Vietnamese government declared Covid-10 an epidemic on February 1.

The first cluster appeared in Son Loi Commune, Bình Xuyên district in Vĩnh Phúc province a week later. Where several business men had returned from a trip to Wuhan. They unknowingly infected several others in the commune. The authorities mobilized the military to shut off the commune of 10,600 people on February 13. The commune was kept fed through heavily controlled military transports and the lockdown lasted until March 4th. In addition all flights to and from China were grounded and land borders were closed.

Pandemic Protocol in Full Swing

By the time the commune went into lockdown the protocols of the Health Ministry were in full effect. The New Year break, similar to Christmas break in the states, comes in late January to mid February in Vietnam. This is to coincide with the Lunar New Year. Part of the Protocol was the shuddering of all schools. The last day children attended school in Vietnam was Friday January 25th.

In addition masks had become mandatory. Temperature checks to enter any building were operational. And social distancing measures were in effect nationwide. As the reopening of Son Loi came and went it looked as if it had been controlled as fast as it appeared. Authorities were preparing to sound the all clear and lift restrictions.

The Second Wave

After 23 days without a new infection, patient #17 was discovered in a hospital in Hanoi. The date was March 6 and she had just returned from a trip across Europe. The contact tracing began, and it is some of the most impressive detective work I’ve ever seen. More than 200 people who had been in contact with the woman were immediately tracked and isolated. Just like in the states it set off a wave of panic buying. Only here it caused an instant noodle shortage.

A day later on March 7th the 18th case was reported. This case came from a passenger on a flight from South Korea. The good news was the patient was already in quarantine. As the entire flight had been quarantined due to concerns of its origin. Later that day the Ministry announced two mare patients, #’s 19 and 20, linked to patient 17 who had returned from Europe. On the morning of March 8th, as I was boarding a plane for Da Nang, patient 21 was announced. That same day health declarations for all persons entering Vietnam went into effect. Anyone who had traveled recently to a known hotspot would either be quarantined in a military concentration camp or turned away.

Threading a Needle

By the time I landed in Vietnam early on the morning of the 11th, the infection count had broken 30. As the afternoon came the cases had climbed further. By the close of March 14th the 53rd case had been reported and Vietnam had had enough. On March the 15th all international flights were suspended and the borders were closed. In addition Foreigners in the country were to shelter in place. Due to the high number of imported infections, foreigners became suspect.

The country was not yet in lockdown, but I seemed to be. Diem and I had originally planned to visit her parents in the countryside and ride the pandemic out, but I couldn’t get there. I wasn’t allowed on public transit, busses, trains or domestic planes. Many businesses began refusing service to foreigners, and I became heavily isolated. Even food delivery companies would call my wife before delivering to make sure they weren’t delivering to a foreigner. I took it in stride. I understood the fear, and just dealt with it.

Lock Down Goes Into Full Effect

By March 22, Vietnam passed the 100 patient mark and our world shut down completely. The Prime Minister ordered all restaurants, parks, flights, trains, buses, taxi’s, stores of any kind, to be shut down immediately and indefinitely. The morning of March 23rd I was awakened by a parade of military vehicles cruising through the neighborhood. Large troop trucks with the canopies removed and filled with speakers. They were announcing to everyone to stay inside and not come out.

We began to get daily text messages reminding us of the importance of social distancing. To wear masks and the severity of the virus. The upper corner of my phones lock screen, the place were your service provider usually is identified, was replaced with the words “stayhome”. Diem’s “stayhome” was in Vietnamese, It was a very disturbing realization. The apartment building we live in emptied as everyone went to their hometowns to wait it out. The front roll down metal door was lowered and we were essentially locked in. An eerily apocalyptic feeling at times.

Apocalypse Right Now

It became a strange world. With no other tenants I would wonder the floors just doing nothing. It is not a huge apartment building, most floors only have three units. But we have the largest unit and the rooftop patio. Penthouse life baby! Thank the lord for the rooftop or it would have been much harder. The family that owns the building would come in once a day in the afternoon and check on us. But other than that the only other contact we had with other human beings was our weekly grocery run.

About the only thing that was considered essential was the food supply. But the wet markets, street side produce stands and fruit vendors were all gone. Which, prior to the pandemic, was where we purchased most of our food. Being a few blocks from the beach and fishing bay, we had a wet fish market a 5 minute walk from us that also had a large produce area. But now we had to drive 20 minutes away on our motorbike, as taxis were closed, and manage to get a week’s worth of groceries back. It got interesting at times to say the least. I finally asked Diem to wear pants with belt loops so I could hook them with my fingers as I was often hanging off the back with a large amount of goods crammed between us.

It Was Scary at Times

Between the military presence in the streets, text messages on your phone, being locked in an entire building alone, and the persistent hunting of anyone that defied the rules, it was unnerving at times. One incident in particular came early in the lockdown. An American female in an active quarantine at a hospital. She had apparently been exposed and was working through the protocol. She decided she had had enough and “escaped”. The hospital reported her flight at 9:15am. By 9:30am a text message with her description, the situation and her picture had been dispersed to everyone, and I mean everyone. Within an hour of her departure she had been picked up and placed back in quarantine, and all who she had contact with joined her. Read that story here.

There were even times when Diem was fielding phone calls about putting me in a camp. I had come in two days before quarantines for anyone entering had been activated, and they were discussing going back further to be safe. The first week of the lockdown was incredibly stressful. But eventually things calmed down and we just were.

A Lot of Eating

The days languidly rolled on, and Diem and I made the best of it. We had access to the typical streaming services back home and fell into a routine. A routine that at one point we thought would last forever. We cooked a lot, Diem practiced her English, I worked on my Vietnamese and everything just became không sao. I ate more than any human being should and I easily gained ten pounds on lockdown. There is always a silver lining, and Diem and I really enjoyed the time together. Lots of date nights on the patio, laughing at action comedies, (Diem’s a huge fan of the genre) and just living as best we could.

Slowly Things Begin to Improve

The days ticked by, we continued to cook and eat at an alarming pace, but we stayed sane. A lot of video chats to friends and family both here and in Vietnam. The Prime Minister did set in his original lockdown decree tentative dates of lifting, but the first date came and went and things continued on the same. On the morning of April 18 I awoke as usual and checked the Vietnamese news sight. No new cases had been reported the day prior. I felt a sense of relief, but it could simply be a lag in information, or a fluke. The day continued on as normal.

Even though it appeared to be the first day without a new case, there hadn’t been huge leaps in cases prior. As of April 18 we were still well under 300 total cases. April 19 came and went, no new cases. The next tentative date for the easing of restrictions was looming on the horizon. April 22 and the entire nation was sitting on the edge of its proverbial seat. Including myself. April 20th no new cases. The tide was turning.

The Resurection of a Nation

April 21st, will forever ring in my memory. Ironically it was a day I participated in a thank you Vietnam campaign. A web based thank you initiative targeted at the Vietnamese government from its expats who it had worked as tirelessly to keep safe and healthy as its own citizens. Make no mistake, the restrictions, lockdowns and difficulties were not to simply “control” the population. It was designed and implemented to keep every single one of us alive. Vietnamese or not. Again Vietnam, I thank you. To watch a short video on the Vietnam Co Len campagn click here.

Midnight was the deadline for the Prime Minister to extend the lockdown. It had been several days since a new case had been recorded. Cases were still low compared to global numbers, under 300, and there was a sense that through contact tracing and closed borders all loose ends had been tied. The morning turned into day and the day turned into evening. Still no report from the Prime minister. Though we were only in contact with others by phone, the feeling was that it was over, we had won.

Music to my Ears

I was in the middle of making dinner. Content to just keep my expectations reasonable, and continue with our routine. I was standing in the kitchen flipping burgers, I had a real craving for something American, when a sound came through the window I hadn’t heard in a very long time. The streets had been so quiet, no traffic or people, tonight I heard the sound of children playing. Peering out of our Kitchen window, I could hear the cries of children laughing. I yelled at Diem to come and see. I was so excited and caught up in the moment. Rushing out to the patio, I climbed the stairs to the rooftop.

All around our building there was movement and life. On the street behind children were playing soccer. In front families were coming out to enjoy the cool evening breeze. Was it over, was this really the end? I dared not step into the street as foreigners were still a bit suspect. I simply sat on the roof and enjoyed the sights and sounds of people doing ordinary things.

The Clock Strikes Twelve

There was such a sense in the air that it was hard to settle down. We ate dinner and I spent much of the evening pacing the rooftop and refreshing my Vietnamese news feed. The Prime Minister seems to be a man who enjoys suspense, as he simply let the deadline pass and expire. We knew peripherally that it was over. The clock struck twelve with no orders of extending the harshest parts of the lockdown. I fell asleep with my brain churning on getting the hell out of our apartment the next day.

Here Comes the Rain

We awoke early simply from the excitement. We could walk down the street again without concern and we immediately did so. Mandatory masks asks and temperature checks were still in effect, but restriction of movement had been lifted, and that is all that mattered.

We walked to a grocery store near us and it was wonderful to be in the fresh air. Everything was opened this morning. I mean everything. Wet markets, corner stores, street vendors. It was amazing. Everyone seemed to be setting up makeshift altars on the sidewalks to thank their ancestors for good fortune. It was just an amazing site. When suddenly in the early afternoon it began to rain. It was one of those monsoon rains that continued until we left Da Nang a few days later. The irony of being let outside for the first time in over a month only to have it pour down rain.

A Few Bumps in the Proverbial Road

For those of you who don’t read my articles regularly I’ll point you to a couple of previous posts that discuss this topic. We left Da Nang a few days later for my wife’s hometown. I’ve been there many times, but this time had a few challenges and we were ultimately asked to leave by the local authorities. I don’t blame them. It was a very stressful time. I am one of maybe three westerners to enter my wife’s village since the war ended some 50 years ago. Given the ratio of imported cases of Covid, the townspeople were none to happy to see me.

Click Here if you haven’t read the challenges we faced going to my wife’s hometown.

And Click Here to read about our last days in the village.

The Endless Vacation

Since we left my wife’s hometown of An Lao on May 3rd, we have been on the move. We’ve been to Saigon, Vung Tau, Can Tho, Da Lat, Cu Lao Cham, Hue, the list goes on and on. It’s been like a perpetual vacation that can’t end. Primarily because of other countries. The borders are still closed so I can’t get a flight out, and quite frankly why would I want to? As long as there are rising cases and importation of infection is real, Vietnam will continue to keep its borders shuddered.

In the wake of all of this Diem and her brother Kevin are opening a salon on the west side of town. Full nail and hair services. Yes, my Vietnamese wife is a nail technician. We hope to be open in a couple of weeks, and I have a nice little office in the back to continue my writing. I hope to have that first book published next year. Given the state of American politics and situation, I don’t have much of a choice but to build a life here. It may turn into a life lived half here and half there, but I don’t currently see an immediate path back to the states unless I’m given no alternative.

Those Damn Masks

I’m not proposing any solution for the US. Only offering my experience on what I went through in a country that is now Covid free, and has been for months. No restrictions, no masks, no closures, just living our lives. I do, however want to point out that some people are wearing masks here, but they were wearing them long before the pandemic. The point is they are not required anymore. And I, like many other Americans, don’t like wearing them.

I complained to the bitter end when they were mandated, but if I wanted to buy groceries so I had to wear one. As soon as the mandate was lifted I stopped. But during the toughest time, when Vietnam really set a path to eradication, I complied. I am obviously not a doctor, but mandatory masks were a part of Vietnam’s plant to eradicate the disease, and they did it. They all did it. That’s another thing I wish to discuss.

Patriotism

9/11 was one of the last times I remember America coming together for the greater good. I saw something similar to that patriotic duty in Vietnam’s response to Covid-19. The nation galvanized behind a pride in defeating this disease. It didn’t matter what would be sacrificed. Your favorite restaurant, morning beach activities. Defeating the disease and producing the best numbers in the eradication of Covid was the entire nations top priority.

Patient Number 91

This is a story that has cost me many tears over the past several months. Patient 91 is the patient whom has come closest to death here in Vietnam. A 42 year old Scottish pilot named Stephen Cameron. He had been living in Vietnam as an expat for several years. Flying for the countries flagship carrier Vietnamese Airlines. He acquired Covid while at a bar in Saigon, one of the few origin cluster locations in the country.

He spent 68 days on a ventilator. Stephen Cameron survived because the doctors who were treating him, the nation who was supporting him, never gave up. The prime minister, the nation, the people, and it’s doctors had made a choice that they would do whatever was necessary to survive this. For everyone in the country to survive this, Vietnamese or not. His condition became a daily report, spread on the news, by word of mouth and in text messages. The nation’s fight against Covid hinged on this Scottish pilot whose life lay in the balance. If he died, then the fight was lost and the entire nation would have failed.

He Slowly Recovers

The nation rallied so vigorously, that when his lung capacity reached a critical phase and transplant seemed the only option, donation offers began to roll in. A 70 year old war veteran, a 40 year old perfectly healthy woman and others offered their lungs and lives to prevent a single death by Covid on Vietnamese soil. Though, in the end, it was not necessary.

He slowly recovered and finally spoke again. He has made enough of a recovery to have flown home just over a week ago. Though he continue to deal with atrophied limbs and other complications from being in a coma for several months. To read more on the amazing story of Stephen Cameron, click here.

How Vietnam Defeated Covid

You have obviously read to this point many of the decisions that led to a successful campaign against Covid. But there is also a background story. Vietnam has been burned by China before. When SARS broke out in 2003, Vietnam made a few critical decisions. They brought in a slew of experts from the CDC in Atlanta, experts from Britain, Germany, France, Australia and Sweden.

Those experts worked with the Vietnamese officials in every aspect of defeating SARS. Is breast milk ok? How do you dispose of dead bodies safely, how to contact trace? The Vietnamese Ministry of Health spent most of 2003 learning everything it could on how to isolate and contain a disease. After SARS eventually came under control the ministry of health turned to establishing protocol. They established an effective, tried approach of how to handle outbreaks. It wasn’t guess work and it wasn’t circumstantial. Vietnam had a clear plan and it hesitated not in implementing it.

In Closing

It has been a very eye opening and amazing experience seeing the handling of a pandemic in another nation. It has been incredibly difficult at times, but only temporarily. Most tourist attractions and locations have offered deep discounts since restrictions have been lifted. Diem and I went to a UNESCO marine wildlife island for our wedding anniversary. transportation to the island, several days lodging, snorkeling over beautiful reefs and amazing seafood cost us less than 200 US dollars.

We are living a life restriction free, and have been since late April. The government continues to repatriate sick Vietnamese overseas, which adds to the total cases, but a community transmission hasn’t occurred since mid April. But it is a little concerning. With such turmoil outside of Vietnam my return remains in limbo. In addition immigration departments are behind or just at a pause on reviewing Visa applications, which means my wife Diem’s prospects of acquiring the ability to even visit the US is on hiatus. And so we live in love and hope. Hope that one day we can come together again for the greater good, put others before ourselves, and forge a more perfect union.