Health official warns of risk of COVID-19 spread during Tet
The surge in travel demand during Tet (Lunar New Year) is a favourable condition for diseases to spread, including COVID-19, a health official of Ho Chi Minh City has said.
HCM City (VNA) – The surge in travel demand during Tet (Lunar New Year) is a favourable condition for diseases to spread, including COVID-19, a health official of Ho Chi Minh City has said.
Ho Chi Minh City's infectious disease surveillance system has detected the emergence of sub-variant JN.1 of the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus in hospitalised patients in December last year in the locality, Deputy Director of the municipal Centre for Disease Control (HCDC) Le Hong Nga said at a press briefing held on January 25.
JN.1 is a sub-variant from the BA.2.86 variant of Omicron classified by the World Health Orgꦕanisation (WHO) as a "variant of Interest” (VOI).
According to Nga, the surge of the JN.1 sub-variant in some countries shows that it is either more transmissible or better at evading the immune system. However, there is no evidence that JN.1 poses greater risk to public health compared to other variants, she said, citing WHO's conclusion. In general, when it comes to COVID-19, symptoms tend to be similar across variants, she said, adding that symptoms and severity of COVID-19 often depend largely on each person's immunity and health status.
To prevent the pandemic and protect public health, the city Department of Health has assigned the HCDC to closely monitor the development of COVID-19 including number of hospital admissions, number of severe cases and deaths, maintain activities to protect people in risk groups in the context of the emergence of the JN.1 sub-variant.
Residents are urged to take measures to protect themselves, such as regularly washing their hands, keeping fit and wearing face masks in crowded places.
People, especially those in at-risk groups, ꧅are recommended to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and other vaccines such as Pneumococcus and respiratory infec⛄tion./.
The Ministry of Health’s Department of Preventive Medicine on January 16 asked localities nationwide to keep a close watch on the disease situation in the face of complex developments of infectious diseases, especially respiratory ones, around the world.
The Ho Chi Minh City Department of Health reported on January 24 that the city's infectious disease surveillance system has detected the emergence of sub-variant JN.1 of the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus in hospitalised patients in December last year in the locality.
SARS-CoV-2’s sub-variant JN.1, a variant of concern, has been found in COVID-19 patients hospitalised in Ho Chi Minh City in December 2023, according to Deputy Director of the city Centre for Disease Control (HCDC) Le Hong Nga.
Despite storm-related disruptions and flight delays, the organs were successfully transported via a combination of air and ground travel. All patients are currently stable and recovering well.
The patient, Tieu Viet But, born in 1970 and residing in Binh Tri commune, Binh Son district, the central province of Quang Ngai, was working aboard fishing vessel Qng – 95657TS when the incident occurred at 7:00 am.
All drugs entering hospitals must have a clear origin, so counterfeit drugs are only in the market, not in hospital, affirmed Minister of Health Dao Hong Lan.
To achieve its goal of becoming a developed nation by 2045, Vietnam is prioritising the integration of AI and digital tools into the training of future doctors, said Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nguyen Viet Nhung, Dean of Medicine at University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Vietnam National University (VNU) Hanoi.
Health experts called for collective disease prevention and integrated solutions to achieve zero dengue deaths in the country at an online talk show on June 14.
The PM called for closer, broader, and more effective cooperation with Vietnamese partners, guided by the principles of mutual benefit, joint efforts, shared outcomes, and common development, including promoting stronger public-private partnerships and collaboration with businesses.
Renowned for its expertise in complex surgeries, the hospital has attracted foreign patients seeking treatment for conditions such as kidney and urinary tract stones, urological and gastrointestinal cancers, and male reproductive disorders. Most procedures are performed using advanced techniques, including laparoscopy and robotic surgery. T
Leading Vietnamese companies specialising in respiratory and dermatological treatments, traditional medicine, immune support supplements, and functional foods will have an opportunity to connect with international distributors and secure export deals.
The project aimed to enable early detection and reduce the risk of dangerous complications, targeting patients with chronic diabetes, cardiovascular conditions and metabolic disorders.
A 2023 report by the Vietnam Health Economics Association estimated that the total cost of tobacco-related healthcare and economic losses reached 108 trillion VND (4.14 billion USD) annually – equivalent to 1.14% of GDP and five times higher than the budget revenue generated by the tobacco industry.
All eligible patients will receive surgical interventions and post-operative care in accordance with Vietnamese medical standards and global care protocols.
Medical screenings and surgical interventions for children with disabilities are being carried out at health centers across Dien Bien. So far this year, 242 children have been identified for diagnosis, treatment, surgery, and the provision of assistive devices.
The Red Journey has become the country’s largest and most effective blood donation campaign, leaving a strong impression on the national voluntary blood donation movement.
This case marks the ninth fetal cardiac intervention conducted in HCM City, and it was considered the most technically demanding to date due to the fetus’s extremely early gestational age and the severity of the condition as diagnosed with aortic atresia.
The groundbreaking ceremony took place one day after the VNVC Vaccine JS Company and Sanofi Group exchanged cooperation documents on vaccine production technology transfer under the witness of State President Luong Cuong and French President Emmanuel Macron.
Vietnam’s traditional medicine took centre stage at the International Congress Biopharm Nonclinical Development, BioNCiD 2025, held on May 25-26 in the Cuban city of Varadero, amid growing global interest in sustainable healthcare solutions.
Under the agreement, VNVC and Sanofi will gradually implement technology transfers to enable domestic production of several key Sanofi vaccines that are widely used in Vietnam. In addition, Sanofi will support VNVC in training human resources and quality management in vaccine research and manufacturing.
Despite the ongoing global circulation and unpredictable developments of SARS-CoV-2, the World Health Organisation (WHO) hasn’t issued new warnings about COVID-19, said the Ministry of Health.
Illustrative image (Photo: VNA) 
