Vietnam identifies new hybrid of 2 COVID-19 variants

A new Covid-19 variant that is a hybrid of the variants first found in India and United Kingdom has been discovered in Vietnam.

Vietnamese Health Minister Nguyen Thanh Long, who disclosed this to government officials on weekend, said scientists found the new variant after examining the genetic make up of the virus that had infected some recent patients.

He noted that the new variant might be responsible for the latest surge in India.

Long said lab tests suggest that hybrid may spread more easily than other versions of the virus.

He said the new variant is more transmissible in the air and that scientists observed its ability to replicate quickly in lab culture. The genome data of the unnamed variant may be publish soon.

Vietnam is currently grappling with a rise in infections since April that accounts for more than half of the total registered cases.