VOCs include corona virus variants that are more dangerous than the original strains, with a higher potential for infection and lethality. WHO previously classified B.1.617 as a “strain variable” (VOI), a level of danger lower than that of the VOC. Variant B.1.617 was first discovered in the Vidarbha region of the Indian state of Maharashtra last December. B.1.617 contains 2 mutations L452R and E484Q, or “double mutation”. According to WHO, variant B.1.617 is already present in more than 20 countries. Malaysian soldiers and security personnel at a blockade to block the entrance of the capital Kuala Lumpur. Photo: Bloomberg Malaysia blockade nationwide for 3 weeks Malaysian Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin on May 10 announced that the country would again apply a nationwide blockade within three weeks. According to Reuters, Prime Minister Yassin said the decision to blockade from May 12 to June 7 is necessary, as the number of new infections and the emergence of corona virus variants are putting pressure on. public health system. “Malaysia is facing a third wave of Covid-19 that is likely to cause a national crisis,” explained Mr. Yassin. “Data and science continue to show gathering practices, which make it difficult to maintain social disparity, and the presence of people in confined spaces as the main cause of social disparity. spread of Covid-19 “. Malaysia’s Ministry of Health said on May 10 that the country had 3,807 new cases of Covid-19 infection, bringing the total number of cases to 444,484. The number of Covid-19 deaths increased by 17 to a total of 1,700. The Malaysian government has also introduced the Movement Control Order (MCO), which prohibits all activities with crowds such as weddings or dining at restaurants, closes schools, limits 3 to 1. car (including driver) … The body of a suspected Covid-19 washed up on the banks of the Ganges River At least 40 bodies were washed ashore on the banks of the Ganges section between the two Indian states of Bihar and Uttar Pradesh. “The incident happened at the Ganges section in Buxar district, near the state border of Bihar and Uttar Pradesh. We instructed authorities to dispose of the bodies by burial or cremation,” said Ashok Kumar, local official. , said May 10. Buxar district media said, the number of bodies washed ashore could reach about 100. Many of these are decomposing and may have been in the river for many days. Some officials are concerned that these may be the remains of victims recently passed away from Covid-19. Locals believe that the bodies were dropped into the river because the cremation area was overloaded or relatives of the dead could not afford firewood. “This is what really shocked us,” said Kameshwar Pandey, a person who lives near the riverbank. According to data from Johns Hopkins University (JHU), on May 10, India recorded more than 366,000 new cases and nearly 3,800 deaths. To date, the country has recorded a total of more than 22.6 million cases and more than 246,000 deaths by Covid-19. Taiwan isolating China Airlines pilots Tran Thoi Chung, head of the Taiwanese health agency (China), said on May 10 that all pilots of the island’s largest airline would be quarantined for 14 days to prevent spread of Covid-19. Chung said the only way he could stop what he believed was a cluster of infections at China Airlines was to isolate all of the airline’s returning and returning pilots, Chung said. “This will have a big impact on China Airlines, for its passenger, cargo and crew flights. But for the safety of the entire community, we can’t help but make a decision. This, “he announced. China Airlines did not comment on the decision, although it has repeatedly said it will work with authorities to end Covid-19 infection, and increase vaccination of its employees, including both the pilot. Vietnamese-English

“Then, the nurse in charge told me that that day India did not have a new hospital stay due to Covid-19. A surge of relief,” said Mr. Udwadia. Financial Times . Indian people and hospitals struggled because of Covid-19. Photo: Reuters. The joy is short-lived After 245 days of continuously fighting the epidemic, that moment brought rare happiness to Mr. Udwadia. He and his colleagues smiled with relief that across India, the number of new cases per day had fallen below 15,000. This encouraging sign also corresponds to the declining Covid-19 observed at the hospital at that time. But the joy is short: Summer welcomes India with a terrible April. The worrying numbers are constantly inching up. On April 26, India set a global record with 352,991 new cases within 24 hours. “On the hospital beds, the scene seems to have been cut from the ‘Hell’ part of poet Dante’s Divine Song,” Udwadia said. With the meager source of oxygen, long lines of patients fought for life with death. Meanwhile, echoing in space are calls for help. The patient’s expectation seems hopeless amid the indifference of the medical staff, who are also strained by the great pressure of the mission to save lives. In the warehouse, oxygen gradually runs out, while many essential pharmaceuticals are in short supply. Even patients in hospitals will not be able to hold out for long once the oxygen supply is depleted. In the black markets, oxygen cylinders are for sale for $ 670, eight times the usual level. Even so, the patients still buy in stock, preparing for the worst possible scenario. India struggled in the second wave of infections. Photo: Reuters. Mistakes All positive signs disappear after three months. In January, the Indian Minister of Health proudly declared: “India has stabilized the Covid chart”. This confidence cannot help India obscure a painful reality: The corona virus is besieging a country of 1.4 billion people. Instead of capitalizing on that precious time in January to ramp up vaccine deployment, secure oxygen supplies and tighten social gaps, India has allowed more localities to campaign for elections and 3, 5 million followers crowded along the banks of the Ganges River during the Kumbh Mela festival. “The virus is forgotten because we declare ourselves the winners,” Udwadia said. Then, as a matter of course, the second Covid-19 wave hit like a fierce tidal wave, making its own impact in 2020 just like a ripple of water. Many believe this wave is caused by the Indian variant B.1.617. This variant has two frightening mutations, the E484Q and the L452R. The lethality of the new variant causes nations to race to close their borders with India. The corona virus pushed the nation of billions of people into turmoil. Photo: Reuters. “As a doctor, I guarantee that the virus appears to be more contagious, has more serious fatalities and affects young people more often than before,” Udwadia said. Currently, patients between the ages of 26 and 44 account for about 40% of cases and nearly 10% of deaths in India. Meanwhile, the story of the vaccine still has its own questions. Instead of calling for 1.7 billion doses of vaccine stockpiling from trusted manufacturers, India has left it all for its “vaccine superpower” label. Early miscalculation now gives way to despair. Waiting for vaccinations crowded in Mumbai had only received an answer that most of the distribution sites were out of stock. Given the current situation (about 5% of India’s population is vaccinated), the coveted prospect of public immunity (when 70% of the population has viral antigens) will take at least another 700 days to be successful. realistic. ‘I lost my wife and children on the same day because of Covid-19’ Most hospitals in India are overcrowded, relatives miserable begging for beds and oxygen cylinders for patients. The furnaces were incinerated, many trucks carrying corpses lined up in long queues.

Photo: Getty Images On October 5, 2020, the GISAID global database shared the genetic makeup of the mutant virus B.1.617 for the first time. India is the country with the most patients infected with B.1.617, followed by the UK, then the US, so far there are a total of 22 countries infected with different degrees. It is not clear what country B.1.617 is from. There are two misunderstandings that should be avoided: one is the concept of the B.1.617 mutant strain originating from India, the other is the term “double mutation”. India is only a country with many patients infected with B.1.617 but no evidence of this mutant virus originated from India. The term “double mutation” is used to refer to two mutations, E484Q and L452R. According to the evolutionary principle of all viruses, strain B.1.617, when sequencing its genes, scientists found there were many different mutations. But there are two mutations that have caught the most attention of scientists; that is, the E484Q mutation could help the virus evade the immune system, and the L452R mutation could help the virus spread faster. In fact, the evolutionary virus had so many mutations at once, so two mutations like strain B.1.167 are not uncommon, and were even frequent in SARS-CoV-2 during pandemics. . Can not say “double mutation” B.1.617 is doubling the danger. The E484Q mutation is similar to E484K – a mutation previously found in the virus variant in the UK, South Africa and Brazil. Similarly, mutation L452R appeared in variant CAL.20C causing disease in the state of California (USA). Scientists disagree with the term “double mutation” when referring to variant B.1.617 because it is misleading that if two mutations occur, the danger level will increase. double. Variation B.1.617 not too dangerous Most experts believe that the mutant virus strain B.1.617 is not the cause of the epidemic in India out of control. Dr Jeffrey Barrett, COVID-19 genomic research director at the Wellcome Sanger Institute (UK), said that variant B.1.617 is less severe than variants in the UK, South Africa and Brazil. On the extent of the spread, Mr. Barrett argues, it is clear that this variation has increased the frequency in India creating a huge and tragic wave, but it will take months to reach the present dangerous state, which This suggests that variant B.1.617 is less contagious than the UK mutant. Professor Richard Neher, who leads the research group on viral evolution at the University of Basel (Switzerland), also said that variant B.1.617 is not more severe than other variants. Although B.1.617 is causing a serious, out-of-control crisis that threatens to collapse the health system in India, according to Dr. Christian Drosten, Head of Virology at Charité Hospital (Germany), There is no reason to worry too much about the B.1.617 variant being called a “double mutation”. Virology experts shared that the B.1.617 variant was no more dangerous than the variants that appeared in the UK, South Africa and Brazil. Vietnam once appeared outbreaks due to the B1.1.7 variant of the UK occurred in Hai Duong, Quang Ninh, Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi and some other localities, but we have controlled and extinguished completely. B.1.617 has become the “tsunami” that knocked down the Indian giant, but with Vietnam, will we once again win? My answer is: Vietnam has won against B.1.617 again. Deadliest day For India, yesterday was the deadliest day with 3,293 deaths, bringing the total number of deaths from COVID-19 in the country to 201,187. Ambulances line up for hours in the New Delhi capital to take the bodies of COVID-19 victims to the temporary crematoriums in the park, the parking lot where the bodies were cremated, Times of India reported. Subjective, off guard India has had 215 new infections and 1 death every minute, and world records are being set every minute. With more than 18 million patients and nearly 200,000 deaths, India became the second most affected country in the world, only temporarily behind the US. The reason for the disaster was not due to sudden B.1,617. But due to some inaccurate information that has created the illusion, such as India has achieved excellent herd immunity, excellent epidemic control, a series of “humanitarian vaccine” policies are praised by the world. The Indian government prides itself on crushing the epidemic curve. In early 2021, the government’s anti-epidemic measures were loosened, and people’s guarding is inevitable. Google tracks the flow of people across countries. Accordingly, since January this year, Indians shop and move much more, the density of people is quite high in public areas, on public transport, the frequency of activities of people are close to normal status when the epidemic has not happened. When people are subjective, personal protective measures such as wearing a mask, measuring body temperature, disinfecting, and keeping social distance are almost not complied with. That is a significant factor contributing to the rapid spread of the epidemic. A series of exciting activities in the locality, such as campaigning, rally, election, demonstrations of farmers, even holding a big wedding are also opportunities for COVID-19 to break out. Before the serious epidemic in India, on April 28, State President Nguyen Xuan Phuc paid a visit to Indian President Ram Nath Kovind. Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh paid a visit to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. On the same day, Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son sent his greetings to Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar. But the most unfortunate is probably related to the traditional festivals, especially the Kumbh Mela festival with a huge influx of Hindu pilgrims, estimated in the hundreds of millions, stretching through April. During the festival, nearly 5 million people jumped into the Ganges and baptized, every day about a million people join the pilgrimage to pray, they squeeze their shoulders like wings and do not wear masks because they think that India has exempted. community epidemic, while in reality both the infected person and the person being vaccinated are less than 10% of the population.

B.1.617 dangerous? I think we now have two misunderstandings to avoid. One is the concept of the B.1.617 mutant strain originating from India and the other is the term “double mutation”. Because India is only a country with many patients infected with B.1.617 only, there is no evidence of virus mutation originating from this country. The term “double mutation” is used to refer to two mutations, E484Q and L452R. According to the evolutionary principle of all viruses, strain B.1.617, when sequencing genes, scientists found many different mutations. But two mutations that have caught the most attention of scientists are the E484Q mutation that can help the virus evade the immune system, and the L452R mutation, which can help the virus spread faster. In fact, the evolved virus would have so many mutations at once, so it’s not uncommon for two mutations like strain B.1.167 to even occur frequently in SARS-CoV-2 during the megalomania. Translate. Personally, I cannot say “double mutation” B.1.617 is double the danger. The E484Q mutation is similar to E484K, a mutation previously found in the virus variant in the UK, South Africa and Brazil. Likewise, the L452R mutation was present in the epidemic CAL.20C variant in California. Scientists disagree with the term “double mutation” when referring to variant B.1.617 because that term is easily misleading. They believe that if two mutations occur, the danger level will double. Immunologist and microbiologist Kristian Andersen (California Campus) and professor of microbiology Sharon Peacock (Cambridge University) are both very in-depth research on mutant virus strains, but they disagree when using use the term “double mutation”. On the other hand, they do not agree to assign the strain B.1.617 originating from India. Most experts believe that the mutant virus strain B.1.617 is not the cause of the epidemic in India out of control. Logically, strain B.1.617 appeared in India from October 5, 2020. Since that time India has been taking steps to control the disease very well, with many remarkable achievements. By November 2020, India has basically successfully controlled the epidemic, the number of cases per day has fallen to less than 10,000 people since the beginning of 2021. B.1.617 is present in 22 countries but still under control. When a virus variant appeared, scientists immediately studied four problems. The first is the ability to cause disease. The second is the ability to evade immunity and vaccines. The third is the trait of the new mutation from the previous variants and the fourth is the contagiousness of the new mutant strain. Dr Jeffrey Barrett, COVID-19 genomic research director at the Wellcome Sanger Institute, said that variant B.1.617 is less severe than variants in the UK, South Africa and Brazil. On the extent of the spread, Barrett argues, it is clear that this variation in frequency increases in India creating a huge and tragic wave, but it will take months to reach the present dangerous state. This suggests that variant B.1.617 is less contagious than the UK mutant. Professor Richard Neher, who leads the research group on the evolution of the virus at the University of Basel also said that variant B.1.617 is no more severe than the other variants. Although B.1.617 is causing crisis, out of control, there is a risk of a complete collapse of the health system in India. But according to Dr. Christian Drosten, head of virology at Charité Hospital in Berlin, there is no reason to worry too much about the B.1.617 variant called a “double mutation”. Similarly, other virologists around the world have shared the same view that variant B.1.617 is more dangerous than the variants that happened in the UK, South Africa and Brazil. Vietnam once appeared outbreaks due to the B.1.1.7 variant of the UK occurred in Hai Duong, Quang Ninh, TP. Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi and a few other provinces, but we controlled and extinguished it completely. The question is that B.1.617 has become the “tsunami” that knocked down the Indian giant, but with Vietnam, will we once again win? My answer is: “Vietnam has won against B.1.617 again!”. (Illustration) Causes of outbreaks in India Almost a week, India has 215 new infections and 1 death every minute, world records are continuously set. The old record just yesterday this morning was crushed, with more than 18 million patients and nearly 200,000 deaths. India became the second most heavily affected country in the world, only temporarily behind the US. The reason for the disaster was not due to the B.1,617 mutation, but some inaccurate information that created the illusion of both the government and the people. For example, the news that India has achieved herd immunity, or its outstanding record in epidemic control, has been accompanied by a series of internationally-acclaimed “humanitarian vaccines” policies. The Indian government prides itself on crushing the epidemic curve! In early 2021, the government’s anti-epidemic measures were loosened, and people’s guarding is inevitable. Google tracks the flow of people across countries, since January of this year, Indians have been shopping and moving a lot more. The density of people is quite high in public areas or on public transport, the frequency of activities of the people is close to the normal state when there has not been an epidemic. When people are subjective, personal protective measures such as wearing a mask, measuring body temperature, disinfecting, and keeping social distance are almost not complied with. That is a significant factor contributing to the rapid spread of the epidemic. A series of exciting activities in the locality, such as campaigning, rally, election, demonstrations of farmers, even holding a big wedding are also opportunities for COVID-19 to break out. But the most unfortunate thing is probably the traditional festivals, especially the Kumbh Mela festival with a huge influx of Hindu pilgrims, estimated at hundreds of millions, lasting through April. During the festival, nearly 5 million people jumped into the Ganges to baptize. Every day about a million people join the pilgrimage to pray, they squeeze wings and do not wear masks because they believe that India is immune to the herd, when in fact both the infected and the vaccinated people have not. up to 10% of the population. But … India still has a long way to go to have herd immunity. In Southeast Asia, from Cambodia, Laos, Thailand to the Philippines, the epidemic is booming, every country is also at risk of breaking the battle. What should Vietnam do? Vietnam will also not be immune from invasive diseases. But fortunately, each day Vietnam has more than 20 traditional festivals, but only small ones. I advocate scaling down these festivals, even canceling them if it’s not safe. As for the festival related to tourism, because the epidemic is still long, it is impossible to stop forever, fight against epidemics well to maintain activities aimed at socio-economic development, in which tourism is a very important part. In my opinion, in the coming time, an epidemic outbreak in India and surrounding countries, Vietnam needs to turn tourism and tourism-related festivals into forms of social relaxation. For example, during the 4-day holiday this weekend, tourist destinations just need to change the scale; Cancellation of all public gatherings during the festival, such as cancellation of firework events, cancellation of indoor stage performance events, cancellation of outdoor large stage performance events. If we do so, tourists are mostly going for a break, essentially like a round of social break. On the whole, this weekend of 4-day holiday, in my opinion is a great time to have a break, especially with families returning home, or the few who stay in the city also resting in place, So the 4-day vacation is a very good opportunity to prevent epidemics. Ultimately, we must still have a vaccine to tackle the pandemic.

Health experts fear that the double strain is gradually invading the country of 1.3 billion people, making the Covid-19 wave more dangerous than ever. On April 17, according SCMP, India has recorded a total of 14.2 million SARS-CoV-2 infections, ranking 2nd globally and more than 174,300 deaths. Since mid-March, the Covid-19 epidemic in India suddenly became complicated again because of the emergence of a double-strain. “Dual mutants” Maria Van Kerkhove, an epidemiologist at the World Health Organization (WHO), said that the dual-strain in India is falling into the interest of experts. “Two of the mutations it possesses have been found in other strains in the world,” added Maria. According to the expert, this makes the double variant in India possible to increase transmission, reduce the effectiveness of the vaccine. The second wave of Covid-19 threatens to destroy all of the country’s anti-epidemic efforts, despite harsh measures. The double-strain variant, B.1.617, was first detected in India with 2 mutants E484Q and L452R at the same time. Migrant workers crowded on a bus to their homeland when New Delhi was frozen in March 2020. Photo: AP. Viruses are always changing, it’s part of evolutionary biology. Some mutations weaken the virus, but others allow it to multiply, thrive, or spread faster. According to the Outbreak – a data site using the GISAID global storage system – the popularity of this double strain has increased by 52% compared to genetically sequenced samples in almost January. According to Anurag Agrawal, director of the Indian Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, after the Geomomics Institute for genetic sequencing, some districts of the state of Maharashtra, the epicenter of the current wave, the rate of double-mutation infection increased. to more than 60%. B.1.617 appeared in patient samples in 10 states of India. Mr. Agrawal predicts that this number will be increased by two key mutations that make it infectious, immune-resistant. Rakesh Mishra, director of the Center for Cell and Molecular Biology, based in Hyderabad, responsible for the nCoV genome project, warns: “This strain spreads faster than any other found. before. Sooner or later, it will become a popular strain of all India ”, According to Mr. Agrawal, the characteristics of the double strain variable are being investigated and analyzed by experts. The L452R mutation once made the situation of the Covid-19 epidemic in the US wobbly. The L452R mutation increased viral transmission by 20% and antibody efficiency by 50%, he said. “Variant B. 1.617 has all the signs of a very dangerous virus. We have to do everything we can to identify the spread and stop it, ”said William A. Haseltine, former professor of Harvard Medical School, USA, wrote on Forbes on April 12. According to the Outbreak, B.1.617 detected in at least 10 countries and territories, including UK, USA, Australia, New Zealand. The funeral system in India is overcrowded because of a record high number of deaths. Photo: Anadolu Agency. “There are corpses everywhere” According to the VICE , in the northern Indian city of Lucknow, videos of the huge number of cremated bodies spread at breakneck speed. It is like wildfire. On April 15, a reporter of the company The Print describes this horrifying scene as “corpses everywhere”, “every 10 minutes a body must be cremated”. Not only were the bodies that had died because Covid-19 needed cremation, but the cemeteries in India were overrun with the dead. An employee at Baikunth Dham shared with The Print: “We are overworked. After the holiday season, the number of deaths began to increase. I haven’t taken a break since last year. Every day, nearly 60-65 bodies are brought here. Pointing his finger towards the injured leg, the person added: “I had an accident but I can’t rest. The number of people who died lately is not a normal number. Many people have to wait 5-6 hours for it. Their relatives were cremated in turn. Before that, the average number was about 20-25 bodies. ” However, no one can determine whether all these deaths were due to Covid-19 or something else. An Indian woman is given the Covid-19 vaccine. Photo: Reuters. A shortage of hospital beds and pre-treatment deaths are common in India – similar to what happened in Brazil or the US recently. There is also a critical shortage of drugs used urgently during the Covid-19 pandemic, Remdesivir and Tocilizumab. People have to go to the black market to find medicine. Apart from Lucknow, cemeteries in other cities are also overloaded. In Bhopal, central India, some cremation facilities report they receive 40 bodies a day. In the capital New Delhi, a cremation site received more than 400 deaths from Covid-19 in the first 13 days of April. In the city of Gujarat, western India, a man has to wait 12 hours for his brother. in the past, the victim died of Covid-19, and was allowed to go to his final resting place. The big problem facing India is that the vaccination rate is too low. From February 16 to April 16, the number of people vaccinated in this country was 14.9 million, accounting for only 1.1% of the population. Many experts warn that at the current rate of immunization, it could take India up to 10 years to fully cover 70% of the population.