SARS-CoV-2 variant found at Tan Son Nhat airport appears for first time in Southeast Asia: Scientists

Taking samples of staff at Tan Son Nhat International Airport in Ho Chi Minh City for COVID-19 testing (Photo: VNA)

Ho Chi Minh City (VNA) – The SARS-CoV-2 variant found in patients at the Tan Son Nhat International Airport in Ho Chi Minh City is A.23.1, which was first found in the African country of Rwanda in late October 2020, according to a report by the Hospital of Tropical Diseases on genetic analysis of the virus.

Scientists said it is highly likely that the patients, who were confirmed on February 8, caught the virus from one source.

Besides Rwanda, the variant has been found in a few other countries, including the US, the United Arab Emirates, Australia and some countries in Europe such as the UK and Denmark. However, no abnormal developments have been reported in those countries.

The scientists also confirmed that the SARS-CoV-2 variant found in the patients at Tan Son Nhat International Airport is not the one found in the UK with high infection speed or the one detected in South Africa./.

VNA