Omicron subvariant XBB detected in HCMC

The HCMC Hospital for Tropical Diseases on January 4 said the Covid-19 Omicron XBB variant, first discovered in India in August, has been found in the southern metropolis.
Illustrative image (Source: VNA)

Illustrative image (Source: VNA)

The result came from the testing conducted by researchers of the hospital and the Oxford University Clinical Research, on 526 Covid-19 patients hospitalized between July 1 and December 25, 2022.

The Omicron sublineage, however, circulated at a low rate, making up only 5.7 percent of the genome decoded, the researchers said, noting that Omicron was the dominant variant in the city in the second half of 2022.

The group concluded that the pandemic is under control in the city, reflecting the efficiency of vaccines in the fight.

The national Covid-19 caseload rose to 11, 525,408 with 71 new cases recorded on January 3, according to the Ministry of Health.

With 13 patients given the all-clear during the day, the number of recoveries rose to 10,611,338.

Meanwhile, there are only 9 patients needing respiratory support in the hospital.

No deaths from Covid-19 were recorded on the day. The total fatalities stand at 43,186.

With 894 doses administered on January 2, the total number of doses of Covid-19 vaccines injected rose to 265,519,661.

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