The sister of Patient 17, fashionista Nga Nguyen has recently launched a self-care brand called N.G.A (Never Go Alone), based mainly on medical products such as hand sanitizer, face mask, disinfecting wet wipes, according to Zing News.
In March 2020, Nga Nguyen became notorious on social networks and throughout Vietnam when she and her sister Nhung Nguyen (Patient 17) were widely seen as Covid “super-spreaders” and were considered responsible for an outbreak of the virus in Vietnam. Patient 17 was Hanoi’s very first case of the virus.
They tested positive for Covid-19 after attending a fashion week in Europe in late February 2020. Nga Nguyen, who has been called “Fashion’s Coronavirus Patient Zero” by international media, stayed in London for treatment. Meanwhile, her sister allegedly used two different passports to remain undetected when entering Vietnam and did not even tell authorities she had visited Italy.
Despite being widely maligned in Vietnam for kickstarting the virus in the country, the sisters bulldozed their way into another PR disaster when they were covered in an interview in The New Yorker on Sept. 21, 2020. Rather than use what could have been a golden opportunity to apologize for any perceived mistakes or praise Vietnam’s competent handling of the virus, Nga told the magazine: “In Vietnam, we are too privileged—we travel too much. If this was Paris Hilton, there would not be so much fuss.” Needless to say, she was widely condemned in Vietnam for what seemed like a tone deaf interview.
It is unclear how her line of glitzy hand-sanitizers will go down, but it is unlikely to win much praise. Neverthless she is pressing on. “I had to stay in hospital in London (UK) for a long time, but I wasn’t on a ventilator and I was conscious. I was taken care of by the doctors and I was impressed with the hygiene products they used. The idea of establishing NGA was created from that time,” Nga said.
“I love fashion but am not confident about my design skills, have too much time but cannot travel because of the epidemic. Although my physical and mental health is still weak, I still want to realize this idea. “
Nga Nguyen has collaborated with a creative director in the perfume industry in California (USA) to focus on the “eye-catching” and distinctive design of the product.
