Through results of gene sequencing, Omicron subvariant BA.2.12.1 with immunity evading property is detected
This afternoon, the Ministry of Health held an online conference to strengthen disease prevention, Covid-19 vaccination, and vaccination safety in 2022, chaired by Deputy Minister Nguyen Thi Lien Huong.
At the conference, a representative of the Department of Preventive Medicine said that in recent days, the number of new cases of Covid-19 in the country has tended to increase, an average of about 900 new cases of Covid-19 per day. Especially, on July 20, the number of new cases skyrocketed to 1,185, so the health system needs to stay alert.
Regarding the epidemic situation in the southern region, Dr. Nguyen Vu Thuong, Deputy Director of the Pasteur Institute in Ho Chi Minh City, said that the number of Covid-19 cases in the provinces and cities in the region has gradually decreased over time, and there is a slight increase from this year's 27th week to present.
Regarding the results of gene sequencing, the sub-variant BA.2 of Omicron accounted for the majority, but in the last 3-4 weeks, there has been an outbreak of Delta variant, resulting in an increase in Covid-19 cases.
In particular, in the past week, out of more than 30 samples that were sequenced, the sub-variant BA.2 accounted for about 30 percent, and the rest were BA.4, BA.5, and the BA sub-variant were detected .2.12.1 of Omicron. Notably, variant BA.2.12.1 also has the ability to evade immunity but less than BA.4, BA.5.
According to epidemiologists, with the appearance of sub-variants BA.4, BA.5, and recently BA.2.12.1, there is a risk of increasing the number of new cases of Covid-19, as well as increasing the number of hospitalizations because these sub-variants have a better ability to evade immunity than the original variant of Omicron, requiring related agencies and localities to be more drastic in implementing preventive measures against the epidemic as well as speeding up the administration of doses of Covid-19 vaccine according to the guidance of the Ministry of Health.
