A coronavirus variant that Vietnamese authorities thought was a combination of the Indian and UK strains is not a new hybrid but part of the existing Indian strain, the World Health Organization's (WHO) representative in Vietnam told Nikkei.
"There is no new hybrid variant in Vietnam at this moment based on WHO definition," Kidong Park said in an online interview with the newspaper, adding that it was within the delta variation that originated in India.
Viruses often develop small genetic changes as they reproduce, and new variants of the coronavirus have been seen almost since it was first detected in China in late 2019.
The WHO has listed four global “variants of concern” – the two first found in the UK and India, plus ones identified in South Africa and Brazil. The body announced on Monday that Covid-19 variants are to be known by letters of the Greek alphabet to avoid stigmatising nations where they were first detected.
Vietnam was initially a standout success in battling the virus – in early May, it had recorded just over 3,100 confirmed cases and 35 deaths since the start of the pandemic. But cases have rapidly increased in the past month and now stand at more than 7,800, with 49 deaths.
(FRANCE 24 with REUTERS, AP and AFP)
