Of these, 17 severe cases required oxygen support, and there were no deaths due to COVID-19. All severe cases belonged to high-risk groups (with serious underlying conditions) and had not received all the required doses of the COVID-19 vaccine as per the Ministry of Health 's guidelines.
The Ho Chi Minh City Hospital for Tropical Diseases and the Oxford University Clinical Research Unit (OUCRU) have decoded the genomes of 16 COVID-19 patients treated in December 2023.
Many COVID-19 patients require oxygen (illustrative image).
The results showed that 12/16 patients (75%) were infected with the Omicron subvariant JN.1, with 1 case infected with the JN.1.1 variant, 2 cases with BA.2.86.1, and 1 case with XDD.
The Ho Chi Minh City Department of Health believes that the increasing number of COVID-19 cases hospitalized at the Tropical Diseases Hospital over the past six weeks is a worrying sign.
The JN.1 subvariant was classified as a "variant of concern" by the World Health Organization (WHO) on December 18, 2023, due to its rapid global spread. It has also been the cause of increased cases and deaths in several countries, including Thailand.
According to the WHO, JN.1 has novel antigenic characteristics that allow the virus to more easily attack the immune system and become more transmissible. However, there is no evidence to suggest that this variant causes more severe illness than other Omicron subvariants.
In general, all current variants cause similar COVID-19 symptoms, with severity depending on the individual's immune system and overall health.
A survey by the US CDC shows that existing COVID-19 vaccines, diagnostic testing techniques, and treatments remain effective against JN.1.
Southeast Asia reported over 26,000 new infections (a 379% increase from the previous 28 days) and 186 new deaths (a 564% increase from the previous 28 days).
Of these, India recorded 86 deaths, Indonesia 72 deaths, and Thailand 21 deaths. According to the Thai Ministry of Public Health, many of the patients requiring ventilators and who died from COVID-19 were unvaccinated or not fully vaccinated.
Given this situation, the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Health assesses that the risk of an increase in COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations is real. People should not be complacent or negligent and should continue to implement measures to protect themselves, their families, and the community.
Source
Comment (0)