{"id":7355,"date":"2021-06-01T11:56:44","date_gmt":"2021-06-01T03:56:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thesmartlocal.com\/vietnam\/?p=7355"},"modified":"2023-06-21T00:17:36","modified_gmt":"2023-06-20T16:17:36","slug":"vietnam-variant-covid-19","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thesmartlocal.com\/vietnam\/vietnam-variant-covid-19\/","title":{"rendered":"New COVID-19 Strain Found In Vietnam, Has Traits From Variants In UK & India"},"content":{"rendered":"

New COVID-19 variant in Vietnam<\/h2>\n
\n

Updated on 4 June 2021: <\/em>A WHO representative<\/a> claims the new strain in Vietnam is a Delta variant, with additional mutations, and does not constitute a hybrid variant.<\/em><\/p>\n

Over the past month, the Vietnam’s fourth COVID-19 outbreak, and her largest so far, has more than doubled the country\u2019s total patient tally, adding a whopping 4,000 new cases. The death toll has also seen an increase from 35 to 47 – among them, relatively young patients without prior health issues.<\/p>\n

Recently, it was also reported that a new COVID-19 strain<\/strong> had surfaced in the country, which allegedly bore traits of variants first found in India and the UK<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Here’s a quick comparison of both strains. We break down what we know so far about the new variant after the jump.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\n

New variant in Vietnam is a hybrid of India & UK variants<\/h3>\n
\n

\"new
\nPhoto for illustrative purposes only<\/em>
\nimage credit: Lao \u0110\u1ed9ng<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

The new virus strain was announced by Vietnam\u2019s Minister of Health Nguy\u1ec5n Th\u00e0nh Long last Saturday, reported VNExpress<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n

During the latest outbreak in Vietnam, the most common COVID-19 virus strain has been the newly termed ‘Delta variant<\/a>‘ first found in India. So far, it has infected thousands in the northern provinces of B\u1eafc Giang and B\u1eafc Ninh, both of which are currently major clusters.<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, another virus strain – aka the Alpha variant<\/a> – first detected in UK has also been found in the central city of \u0110\u00e0 N\u1eb5ng.<\/p>\n

However, according to Minister Nguy\u1ec5n Th\u00e0nh Long, testing of recent samples revealed a new variant that bore traits of both aforementioned strains.<\/p>\n

Scientists are currently carrying out more research on this new variant, so stay tuned for updates on this.<\/p>\n

\n

Officials say the current outbreak has a higher transmission rate<\/h3>\n
\n

Assessing the current COVID-19 outbreak in Vietnam, Mr. Long said the virus has exhibited increased transmissibility this time around. Observations of the virus in a laboratory environment show that it multiplies quickly and may be able to spread through the air.<\/p>\n

Indeed, a research paper<\/a> published by the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control claims that the “UK variant” of the COVID-19 virus – scientifically known as the B.1.1.7 strain and recently dubbed the “Alpha variant” by WHO – is 75% more infectious than pre-existing variants.<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, the so-called “Indian variant” – or the B.1617.2 strain – has been renamed the Delta variant. Some studies, such as one shared by the Cold Spring Habor Laboratory<\/a>, suggest that it might be less responsive to vaccine-elicited antibodies. Increased transmission rate is also a concern with this strain.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is one of the reasons outbreaks in B\u1eafc Giang and B\u1eafc Ninh are difficult to contain despite strong preventive measures,\u201d the minister said.<\/p>\n

Since the beginning of the pandemic in 2020, Vietnam has had a total of 7,321 COVID-19 cases. Of these, over 4,000 were reported in this latest wave and are currently in treatment.<\/p>\n

\n

Remain vigilant to stay safe<\/h3>\n
\n

With the ongoing developments with regard to the COVID-19 variants, a nationwide effort is needed to curb the spread of the virus.<\/p>\n

Traveling is not advised at the moment. And in major cities, authorities have issued warnings against gatherings<\/a> and enforced mask-wearing in public<\/a>. It is now more crucial than ever that we adhere to these preventive measures to stay safe.<\/p>\n

For more stories, check out:<\/p>\n