By Sai Hseng Hlaing

There are 37 COVID-19 patients receiving medical treatment in hospitals in Shan State, with most cases in the south, near the Thai border.

Dr Zawana Ko, deputy head of the Shan State Health Department, said there are 31 cases in hospitals in southern Shan State. The other six are at Muse Public Hospital in Muse town, in northern Shan State, located along the Chinese border.

“There were 49 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in southern Shan State, but 18 were released from the hospital. Of the 31 remaining cases, 22 are being treated at Sao San Htun Hospital and 9 at Kalaw Hospital.”

Eleven of the transmissions in southern Shan State were detected using a rapid diagnostic test kit (RDT), the doctor said, and three are from a police training school.

Dr Zawana Ko told SHAN more cases were detected in southern Shan State because RDTs were utilized at special medical checkpoints. “Many confirmed cases have a travel history or they are truck drivers.”

Dr Han Naing Soe, who works at Muse Hospital, told SHAN that there were 10 confirmed cases in Muse Township but that only six remain. “They are truck drivers and minor drivers. Two were confirmed using a RDT.”

In eastern Shan State, six cases were released from the hospital and no new cases have been reported, said Dr Ba Soe Thet.

According to the Ministry of Health and Sports, there were 29,314 confirmed cases at 8 a.m. on October 12, while 10,260 recovered and 664 died.