Vietnam discovers two new strains of SARS-CoV-2 from imported cases
The National Hospital for Tropical Diseases has discovered two new variants of SARS-CoV-2, namely B.1.222 and B.1.619, after gene sequencing of patient samples.
Spraying sterilised substances at the National Hospital for Tropical Diseases No 2 to prevent SARS-CoV-2 virus from spreading (Photo: VNA)
Hanoi (VNS/VNA) - The National Hospital for Tropical Diseases has discoveredtwo new variants of SARS-CoV-2, namely B.1.222 and B.1.619, after genesequencing of patient samples.
VanDinh Trang, Head of the Microbiology and Molecular Biology Ward under thehospital, told the Suc khoe & Doi song (Healthand Life) newspaper that the B.1.222 variant had appeared in 11 countries, butwas most common in the UK and particularly Scotland. This strain has manymutations on the spike protein different from the Indian strain B.1.617.2.
VariantB.1.222 was discovered when the hospital’s COVID-19 research team sequenced theSARS-CoV-2 gene from the oropharyngeal specimen of a 29-year-old patient, aUkrainian expert. The patient was quarantined immediately after entering Vietnam.
VariantB.1.619 has spike protein similar to Indian strain B.1.617.2. Variant B.1.619appeared in many countries, possibly originating from Cameroon and thenspreading to Europe.
Thisvariant was discovered in Vietnam when experts from the hospital conductedgenetic sequencing of the SARS-CoV-2 virus specimen of an Indian expert whowas quarantined immediately after entering Vietnam.
Trangsaid Patient 2,857, an employee of the hotel where an Indian team of expertsquarantined in Yen Bai province was infected with the SARS-CoV-2 virus with thecharacteristics of the Indian variant B.1.617.2.
Thesetwo variants have not been found in nearly 200 gene sequenced hospital samples.
Thus,with these two newly discovered strains, Vietnam has recorded seven strains ofSARS-CoV-2.
Thefive previously discovered strains are D614G from Europe, which caused theoutbreak in Da Nang city, B.1.1.7 from the UK, which caused the outbreak in HaiDuong province, B.1.351 from South Africa in a South African patientquarantined on arrival on December 19, 2020, A.23.1 from Rwanda, Africa,recorded at Tan Son Nhat International Airport in Ho Chi Minh City, andB.1.617.2, recently discovered from Indian experts.
TheNational Hospital for Tropical Diseases is the leading COVID-19 treatmentfacility in Vietnam. At present, 344 patients are being treated there,including 52 patients in serious health conditions./.
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Spraying sterilised substances at the National Hospital for Tropical Diseases No 2 to prevent SARS-CoV-2 virus from spreading (Photo: VNA) 
