Lao woman studying in the UK infected by Coronavirus 

A 20-year-old woman from Vientiane has been infected by the Coronavirus, taking the total number of infections in Laos to 12, authorities said on Monday.

The woman is a resident of Naxay village in Xaysettha district and was studying in the UK, the Standing Deputy Head of the National Taskforce Committee for Covid-19 Prevention and Control, Dr Phouthone Muongpak, told the daily news briefing on Monday evening.

“She is a Lao student who travelled from England,” Dr Phouthone said.

The woman was among 17 suspected cases tested on April 5. These included 12 people from Vientiane, three from Luang Namtha province, and one each from Bokeo province and Xaysomboun province.

The Lao student flew out of the UK on March 22, and arrived at Wattay International Airport in Vientiane on March 23 via Suvarnabhumi Airport on Thai Airways flight TG 574.

She went into self-quarantine for 14 days at her garden house from March 24, as recommended by authorities. On April 5, her 13th day in self-quarantine, she started having neck pains, headache and difficulty in breathing.

As her condition worsened, she went to Mittaphab Hospital for a check-up. The doctors took her sample and found she had been infected by the Coronavirus.

The woman is currently admitted at Mittitaphab Hospital for treatment.

Dr Phouthone said the woman's family did not stay with her while she was in self-isolation.  

A total of 86 samples were collected from Lao workers who returned from Thailand on April 5, but none of them were found to be infected.

There are 71 people who were in close contact with the confirmed cases and they are being closely monitored.

The infected people belong to five groups - hotel staff, tour guides, beauticians, an employee of Phu Bia Mining Limited, and the Lao woman student from the UK. 

The 11th case to be detected was a Papua New Guinea citizen, who travelled to Laos on March 23 via Singapore and Thailand.  

Authorities have also said the Lao student and the Papua New Guinea citizen infected by the Coronavirus were on the same Thai Airways flight TG 574 from Bangkok to Vientiane on March 23.

As of April 6, the Coronavirus has spread to 208 countries and there are more than one million confirmed cases around the world. The virus has claimed 69,424 lives. More than 262,217 people have recovered.

By Khonesavanh Latsapho
(Latest Update April 6, 2020)