Vietnam records 163 Omicron cases, most are mild

VOV.VN - Vietnam confirmed an additional 28 Omicron cases on January 24, an increase of 24 cases compared to the previous day, raising its cumulative tally to 163, according to the Ministry of Health.

All the newly detected cases were documented in the south, with Ho Chi Minh City alone registering 24 cases. Other localities registering such infections were Kien Giang (2), and Ba Ria – Vung Tau and Binh Duong (1 each).

Ho Chi Minh City, the largest city in Vietnam, has so far recorded 92 Omicron infections, of whom only five were acquired in the community linked to patients returning from overseas.

The remaining cases were returnees from overseas that were detected and isolated upon arriving at airports.

Most patients infected with the new strain have mild symptoms such as a fever, chills, or a sore throat. They have all recovered after a week treatment on average, according to doctors.

Elsewhere, Quang Nam has recorded 27 cases, Hanoi capital 14, Da Nang 8, Thanh Hoa, Quang Ninh and Kien Giang 2 each, and Hai Duong, Hai Phong, Khanh Hoa, Long An, Ba Ria – Vung Tau and Binh Duong 1 each.

Experts recommended that people strictly observe COVID-19 guidelines, including wearing a face mask, washing hands with sanitizer or soap, and avoiding large gatherings, to prevent virus infection.

“Strictly adhering to the Health Ministry’s 5K message is the decisive solution. The new strain can have a short incubation period and it is easy to spread... but it can't penetrate masks and can't survive after hands are washed,” Dr. Nguyen Van Vinh Chau, deputy director of the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Health.  

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