An elderly man in Hanoi has died of a severe chronic lung disease after delaying his hospitalization for fear of being exposed to COVID-19.

Dr. Hoang Bui Hai, head of the intensive care ward at the Hanoi Medical University Hospital, confirmed to Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper on Friday that an 85-year-old patient had passed away due to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

The elderly man, who resided in Thanh Xuan District, had a history of chronic pulmonary heart disease and was being treated at home.

His condition worsened about 10 days ago, but he did not go to the hospital due to the fear of getting infected with the coronavirus.

As he suffered serious difficulty breathing on Wednesday morning, the man was brought to the Hanoi Medical University Hospital for emergency treatment.

The patient was already in a critical condition and suffered cardiac arrest when he arrived.

Doctors were able to restore his blood circulation and took him into intensive care.

However, the patient suffered multiple-organ failure and passed away on Thursday.

According to Dr. Hai, COVID-19 is very dangerous to people with underlying conditions.

People with such conditions should keep in touch with their doctor through different channels to be prescribed suitable medicine and have their health monitored.

"If patients with underlying diseases have such symptoms as increased shortness of breath, fatigue, chest pain, or excessive sweating, they must be taken to the hospital immediately,” the doctor continued.

It is understandable that people are afraid of coming to hospitals amid the serious COVID-19 pandemic, as these locations pose very high risks, said Nguyen Lan Hieu, director of the Hanoi Medical University Hospital.

In order to know if their health conditions need emergency care, patients should contact doctors for advice before deciding whether they have to go to the hospital, Hieu added.

Vietnam has documented 6,396 COVID-19 cases as of Friday afternoon, with 2,896 recoveries and 47 deaths, according to the Ministry of Health’s statistics.

The country has recorded 3,335 local infections in 31 provinces and cities since the fourth wave of transmissions began on April 27, including 352 cases in Hanoi.

Two of the major clusters in the capital were previously detected at the National Hospital for Tropical Diseases and K Hospital.

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