The COVID-19 variant first detected in Vietnam is ‘very dangerous’. This, according to Vietnam’s Health Minister Nguyen Thanh Long, when he spoke to VNE News on May 29, 2021. Le Thi Quynh Mai, deputy head of National Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology was quick to break the news. This was after genetic sequencing found at least four Covid-19 patients carrying the hybrid variant.
What We Know Now About the New Hybrid Variant
Vietnam’s Health Minister told Reuters the new variant combines characteristics of those first appearing in India and United Kingdom. However, it is even more infectious than previously known ones, especially in terms of airborne transmission. The genetic code will be available to other nations soon, he promised.
However, this time our immunologists may be ahead of the game. Because full doses of vaccines, such as Pfizer and AstraZeneca trigger strong immune responses against Indian and UK variants. And moreover, there is no evidence the variant first detected in Vietnam causes more serious disease. But there are two alarm bells ringing, none the less:
1… The risk of serious illness is once again highest for elderly people, or those with significant underlying health conditions.
2… The fact the Vietnam virus is more infectious and equally dangerous will lead to more deaths in unvaccinated populations.
Variant First Detected in Vietnam Already Circulating
It appears logical the new variant will show in increasing infections when it starts circulating. Vietnam has been largely COVID-19 free to date, with only 3,000-odd infections reported through to early April, 2021. However, the total number has up-ticked sharply to 6,700 since then, with 47 deaths overall.
The outbreak centers in inland Bac Giang and Bac Ninh provinces, in the northern-central Ha Bac region. Vietnam has previously detected six coronavirus variants, including those first appearing in United Kingdom, India and South Africa.
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Preview Image: New COVID-19 Cases in Vietnam
