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Despite a long border with China and a population of 97 million people, Vietnam has recorded only just over 300 cases of Covid-19 and not a single death. The country very quickly enacted measures such as travel restrictions, monitoring and eventually closing border with China, closing schools and increasing health checks at borders and other vulnerable places. A vast and labour intensive contact tracing operation got under way. Quarantine on such a vast scale is key as evidence mounts that as many as half of all infected people are asymptomatic.

Coronavirus face masks © Credit De an Sun

How Vietnam managed to keep its coronavirus death toll at zero CNN interview with Guy Thwaites and Pham Quang Thai (former OUCRU PhD student), 30th May

BBC interview with Guy Thwaites, 15th May

Rappler Talk also interviewed Guy Thwaites on Vietnam’s effective strategy against coronavirus, 15th May

MANILA, Philippines, 15th May – Vietnam's handling of the coronavirus pandemic is perhaps the most efficient and effective, not just in Asia but in the whole world. While many countries are still reeling from the effects of the news virus, Vietnam came out of lockdown with only 288 cases and zero deaths.

Rappler editor-at-large Marites Vitug asked Guy Thwaites, OUCRU director since 2013 and expert on infectious diseases and microbiology, how Vietnam handled the coronavirus pandemic.

What can countries learn from Vietnam? And what's unique in its handling that proved to be an ace in the fight against the coronavirus pandemic?