Vietnam yet to record SO2 mass heading for territory

News had previously surfaced on social media that an SO2 storm from the volcanic eruption in Indonesia was hitting Vietnam, especially the southern region.

Several TikTokers said that they had suffered some symptoms such as pharyngitis (sore throat) and conjunctivitis (red eye) after venturing out for an hour. They even recommended that people stay indoors unless they have important things to do outside.

“So far we have not recorded any data about the above incident, and the agency is still monitoring normal weather patterns,” Le Dinh Quyet, an official of the Southern Hydrometeorological Forecasting Station in Ho Chi Minh City.

Despite intermittent spells of rain, the ongoing heat wave is baking southern localities from now until May 16, with daytime temperatures ranging between 35 and 37 degrees Celsius, said Quyet.

Meanwhile, doctor Nguyen Huu Hoang, a lecturer at Ho Chi Minh City University of Medicine and Pharmacy, said that he has not heard about any cases with these symptoms following someone’s exposure to SO2 on the street.

In fact, when a person is exposed to high concentrations of SO2, symptoms such as a sore throat and eye pain can occur, Hoang told Znews.vn.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), SO2 is created from volcanic eruptions that may affect someone’s respiratory system and lung functions following a period of exposure to the harmful gas.