Vietnam has discovered a new Covid-19 hybrid variant which spreads quickly by air and is a combination of B.1.617.2 and British strains, state media reported Saturday.
“The characteristic of this strain is that it spreads quickly in the air. The concentration of virus in the throat fluid increases rapidly and spreads very strongly to the surrounding environment,” Health Minister Nguyen Thanh Long stated.
This discovery comes amidst the country’s swedge to combat the daily outbreaks across more than half of the country. Industrial zones and big cities such as Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City have also reported appalling hikes in their infections. However, no statistics of the hybrid virus infections have been started yet. The health minister said that the territory will announce the discovery in the world’s map of genetic strains.
Earlier, there were seven known coronavirus variants in Vietnam before Long’s announcement, according to the Ministry of Health.
The new round of infections has made the public and government fearful and authorities quickly moved to place strict limits on movement and business activity. Cafes, restaurants, hair salons, and massage parlors as well as tourism and religious spots have been ordered to close in various areas of the country.
The communist country has previously received widespread applause for its aggressive pandemic response, with mass quarantines and strict contact tracing helping keep infection rates relatively low.