Omicron variant appears in Vietnam: If not determined, it will 'break the battle'

The emergence of new variants is not unexpected.

On December 28, the Ministry of Health announced that Vietnam recorded the first person infected with the Omicron variant. That was a passenger KVHM on BAMBO AIRWAY flight QH9028 from the UK to Vietnam on December 19. The first case of infection with this Omicron variant in our country was quarantined upon entry.HealthThe patient is stable, has no clinical symptoms, and is diagnosed by the doctor as an asymptomatic, low-risk case of Covid-19. However, the appearance of the first case of the new variant still makes people worried.

Regarding this issue, Associate Professor, Dr. Tran Dac Phu, former Director of the Department of Preventive Medicine (Ministry of Health), senior advisor of the Vietnam Center for Public Health Emergency Response, said: “With the current expansion of trade, the risk of the Omicron variant entering Vietnam was predicted in advance. This variant spreads very quickly and has appeared in more than 100 countries around the world. Vietnam will continue to have new cases infected with this variant.”

Associate Professor, Dr. Tran Dac Phu. Photo: Le Anh Dung

The expert also said that we call this the "first detected case" but it may not be the only case in Vietnam up to now. Because the Associate Professor, Dr. said that there may also be cases of infection with this variant that have appeared in our country because to detect it, we have to do gene sequencing. He also emphasized that in the world, in many countries, there are also cases where this strain has penetrated but not been detected.

In addition to its ability to spread quickly, Associate Professor Dr. Tran Dac Phu also assessed this as a dangerous variant. He explained: “This variant has mutations, containing up to 36 mutations in the spike protein, while the spike protein has helped the SARS-CoV-2 virus penetrate human cells, causing rapid spread. We need to assess whether it can neutralize the vaccine or not.”

Associate Professor, Dr. Tran Dac Phu also added that this variant causes mild symptoms as some previously published studies, but according to him, if not controlled, it will lead to an increase in infections, easily leading to overloading of hospitals and the health system, thereby increasing the number of deaths.

“The risk of the epidemic spreading during the New Year and Lunar New Year is very high because we are dealing with the Delta strain and the Omicron strain has appeared. In addition, during the New Year, people's travel needs increase dramatically. Thus, the risk is not within a province or city but between provinces and the whole country,” Associate Professor, Dr. Phu warned.

Mr. Phu also mentioned the risk of rapid spread, so the number of people infected with this variant increased, leading to incorrect treatment stratification. This led to many mild cases receiving medical intervention but severe cases not receiving intervention, increasing the risk of patient death.

Not being decisive will "break the battle"

But whether the Delta variant orOmicron,According to Associate Professor, Dr. Tran Dac Phu, the virus is still spread through the respiratory tract from one person to another. In addition, when the virus sticks to the surface of objects due to our exhalation or cough, it remains on the surfaces, then we touch it and bring it to our nose and mouth, which also spreads the virus.

“The risk of spreading the disease is still due to close contact with the source of infection, crowded gatherings, in closed rooms... so the epidemic prevention measures remain unchanged compared to the Delta variant. But we need to be more drastic to reduce the spread,” he emphasized.

Photo illustration. Clubmahindra

Specifically, people need to strictly follow the 5K recommendations and raise awareness in disease prevention. The most important thing is to limit appearing in crowded places, limit close contact or contact in closed environments.

People need to avoid the idea that getting vaccinated against Covid-19 will prevent them from getting infected or that the disease will not become severe, which leads to complacency and negligence, leading to the rapid spread of the disease.

In particular, during the upcoming Tet holiday, people should limit travel and not travel when not necessary. If forced to return to their hometowns, they should take measures to prevent the epidemic, such as choosing safe means of transport, prioritizing personal vehicles. For example, returning to their hometowns to burn incense but not visiting each other, not gathering to eat and drink...

On the government side, experts also emphasized that we need to prepare the health system to respond so as not to be passive when the number of cases increases.

Localities must assess risks and have specific scenarios for each commune/ward and district. These scenarios are based on each situation to assess which activities are allowed, which activities are suspended, and which activities are allowed to operate with conditions (epidemic safety conditions).

Regarding the fact that some inner-city districts of Hanoi have temporarily suspended essential activities, experts believe that this is a feasible measure. “Districts with high risks should switch to prioritizing essential activities and suspend unnecessary activities. We can even assess the risk at a smaller level. For example, in one district, some wards will have to suspend non-essential activities to fight the epidemic,” he said.

“The government also needs to step up inspection and control of epidemic prevention work. Punishment must be stronger because if not drastic, the outbreak will be overwhelming. Ho Chi Minh City is still a clear lesson,” Associate Professor Dr. Phu affirmed.

“We must respond to the risks to avoid under-response and failure to control the epidemic. But we must also avoid going too far, leading to widespread social distancing, blocking rivers and markets, and affecting the economy and social security of the people,” he added.

Experts also emphasized the need for Covid-19 vaccination. For those who have not received the second dose of the vaccine, it is necessary to organize catch-up vaccinations and accelerate the progress of the third dose of the vaccine.

Prime Minister requests vaccination, Omicron control. Photo: Tien Hung

“The issue of whether the new strain will neutralize or reduce the effectiveness of the vaccine is still being studied. However, international studies show that the third injection has a better protective effect against the new strain. Currently, some countries such as Israel have already carried out the fourth injection,” he added.

In response measures to the new strain, Associate Professor Dr. Phu affirmed that the priority criteria for protecting the elderly and people with underlying diseases is still put first. “They have weak immune systems, are susceptible to infection, and when infected, there is a high risk of becoming seriously ill. When many severe cases appear, the health system is overloaded, leading to an increase in deaths, so to deal with the new strain, we still prioritize protecting this group of people,” Associate Professor Dr. Tran Dac Phu further explained.

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