On the evening of May 24, the Department of Health of Ho Chi Minh City said that, before the increase in the number of Cover-19 macadamia in the world as well as in Ho Chi Minh City, the CIVI-19 research team of the Tropical Hospital of Ho Chi Minh City and the Clinical Research unit of Oxford University (OUCRU) conducted the decoding of genetic sequences of some patients with clinical diagnosis of COVIVI-19 hospitalized in the third week of May 5, and recorded NB.1.1.
NB.1.8.1 is the secondary variable of the XDV.1 variable originating from the XDV variable formed from the genetic recombination between the JN.1 variable and the XDE variable. According to information from the gene database, NB.1.8.1's first genome was first announced in early 2025. As of May 22, 2025, NB.1.8.1 was discovered in 22 countries around the world.
The World Health Organization's SARS-CoV-2 variety monitoring program has not classified 9:00 until 8: 8.1 into any group of variants in three risk groups: VUM ( variation to be monitored), VOI ( variation to be monitored) and VOC ( variation to be concerned). Scientific data has not yet recorded a difference in the extent of spread or more severe disease causation compared to previously circulating variants.
In Taiwan (China),): 1.8.1 is currently the dominant strain causing the disease, most of the severe cases are cases that have not been fully vaccinated against COVID-19 as recommended by the host country, in the elderly, or have underlying diseases.
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (US-CDC) has also just announced that the variation NB 1.8.1 has been detected in many international tourists coming to major US airports in recent weeks.
In Ho Chi Minh City, the infectious disease monitoring system recorded signs of an increase in the number of COVID-19 cases in the city from the 16th to the 20th weeks (April 14 - May 18), an average of 11 COVID-19 cases were reported per week, a sharp increase compared to the first 15 weeks of the year - only 1 to 2 cases per week.
In the week of September 20 - 18, the whole city recorded 26 cases, an increase of 16 cases compared to the average of the previous 4 weeks. Accumulated from the beginning of 2025 to now, Ho Chi Minh City has had 79 cases of COVID-19 (lower than 75.5% compared to the same period in 2024). Of which, there were 43 inpatient cases and 36 outpatient cases, with no cases of serious illness requiring respiratory support.
According to experts, the appearance of a new variation of NB 1.8.1 may be the cause of the increase in the number of COVID-19 cases in the city in recent weeks, similar to that in some countries around the world in recent times. This is a common phenomenon when a new variety appears.
On May 21, the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Health issued an official dispatch on proactively implementing COVID-19 prevention and control in the city in the current situation.
The Department of Health recommends that people do not panic or worry but also do not be subjective in the face of unpredictable developments of the COVID-19 epidemic in the world, proactively implement epidemic prevention and control measures according to the recommendations of the Ministry of Health to protect themselves, their families and the community.
