Vietnam 13th in global COVID-19 recovery ranking

A Frenchman gives the thumbs up as he is discharged from the National Hospital for Tropical Diseases in Hanoi after recovering from COVID-19, April 2, 2020. Photo by VnExpress/Giang Huy.

In Asia, Vietnam ranked fifth after Thailand, Taiwan (China), the Repuplic of Korea and Malaysia, according to the Global COVID-19 Index updated June 16 by Malaysia-based consulting firm Pemandu Associates in collaboration with Malaysia’s Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation and the Sunway Group.

The index measured global economies on how well they coped with the COVID-19 crisis based on recovery and severity ratings.

Vietnam scored 73.3 points, with 0 the worst and 100 the best in terms of recovery rating measured by how a country was performing on its path to recovery in comparison to other countries. This, in turn, is based on active cases per population, recoveries per confirmed case, tests conducted per confirmed cases and tests conducted per population.

The country also scored 15.4 points in terms of severity in which 100 is considered the worst and 0 the best.

The severity rating covers key dynamic parameters that would change daily, including confirmed cases per population and death rate due to COVID-19.

Vietnam, a country of 96 million people, where the first COVID-19 infections were confirmed January 23, has reported only 349 infections and no deaths as of June 20.

The recovery rate of confirmed cases in Vietnam is 95%, as 325 patients have recovered and only 17 are undergoing treatment. A British pilot, Vietnam’s most critical COVID-19 patient who was comatose for more than two months, is recovering well.

Australia topped the ranking for the responses to the COVID-19 pandemic, followed by Thailand and Denmark.

The world’s largest economies like the US and China scored poorly in the global recovery index. China, which is facing a new COVID-19 outbreak linked to the Xinfadi wholesale food market in Beijing, ranked 31st while the US, the world’s largest COVID-19 hotspot, ranked 126th.

Honduras in North America scored lowest, following Africa's Sao Tome and Principe, Equatorial Guinea and Guinea-Bissau.

Politico, a US-based political news organization, last month said Vietnam has responded best to the COVID-19 pandemic in terms of health and economic impacts.

Many other leading organizations and news sites around the world have also hailed Vietnam for its success in tackling the COVID-19 pandemic. Vietnam, which shares a long border with China, eased social distancing measures after April 22 and most economic and trade activities have returned to normal.