The Delta variant of the novel coronavirus was the main reason that the current outbreak in Saigon was so fast-spreading and severe, a recent report shows.
Tuoi Tre quoted a report by the Ministry of Health as saying that this year’s waves of infections are dominated by the Delta variant of SARS-Cov-2. Ministry data shows that the variant has accounted for 100% of COVID-19 cases in Saigon and the majority of cases in Bac Giang and Bac Ninh provinces in the second half of the year. The newspaper, however, doesn’t specify how these rates were determined.
Delta was first discovered in India. It has mutations in the gene responsible for the spike protein, allowing for increased transmissibility. Delta cases have caused major outbreaks in countries that previously managed to combat the original variant of the virus, such as Vietnam, New Zealand, Singapore, and elsewhere.
According to the health ministry, in Vietnam, F0 patients with the Delta variant can each infect 5–10 others, while the figure was only 1–2 last year. Among those infected with this strain, rates of severe cases increased by 234% and mortality rates rose 132% compared to previous outbreaks.
Vaccination campaigns across the country have been effective in curbing severe cases and deaths. In Saigon, where 100% of eligible adults have had at least one shot and nearly 80% are fully vaccinated, only over 600 new cases were detected on November 2, the lowest number recorded in three months. The city has also inoculated thousands of teens aged 12 to 17.
As of this morning, November 3, Vietnam had administered 84 million shots, accounting for 80% of the population with one shot and 34% with two. Ten localities have at least partially immunized over 95% of adults over 18 and nine have fully vaccinated more than 50% of eligible adults.
While the pandemic has stabilized in previous hot spots like Saigon, Long An and Binh Duong thanks to high vaccination rates, the situation elsewhere is complicated. Many provinces and cities in the Mekong Delta and Central Highlands have reported alarming numbers of new cases in the past week.
In the Southwest Region, An Giang confirmed 314 new cases on November 2, while Can Tho recorded 296. The figure was 421 in Kien Giang, the highest of the region.
