近日在越南發現了一種新的新冠變種病毒株，它是此前在英國和印度發現的變異毒株的混合體，可以在空氣中迅速傳播。越南衛生部長表示，這種混合毒株“非常危險”。

Vietnam has detected a Covid variant that appears to be a combination of the Indian and UK variants and can spread quickly by air, officials say.

越南官員稱，越南檢測出一種新冠變種毒株，似乎是印度和英國發現的變種毒株的混合體，可以通過空氣快速傳播。

Vietnam's Health Minister Nguyen Thanh Long described the latest mutation on Saturday as "very dangerous".

越南衛生部長阮青龍上周六（5月29日）表示這一最新變種毒株“非常危險”。

Viruses mutate all the time and most variants are inconsequential, but some can make a virus more contagious.

病毒會不停地變異，多數變種毒株都無足輕重，但有些變異則會讓病毒變得更具傳染性。

Since Covid-19 was first identified in January 2020, thousands of mutations have been detected.

自從2020年1月首次發現新冠病毒以來，已經檢測到數千種變異病毒。

"Vietnam has uncovered a new Covid-19 variant combining characteristics of the two existing variants first found in India and the UK," Mr Nguyen told a government meeting.

阮青龍在一次政府會議上透露：“越南發現了一種新的新冠變種毒株，兼具在印度和英國首次發現的兩種現有變異病毒的特點。”

Mr Nguyen said the new hybrid variant was more transmissible than previously known versions, especially in the air. He said it was discovered after running tests on newly-detected patients, online newspaper VnExpress reported.

阮青龍指出，新的混合型變種毒株比以往發現的毒株傳染性都更強，尤其是在空氣中。據新聞門戶網站越南快訊報道，阮青龍表示，新毒株是在對新近確診患者進行檢測后發現的。

He added that the genetic code of the virus would be made available soon.

他補充道，該毒株的基因序列很快就會公布。

The variant of Covid-19 first identified in India last October - called B.1.617.2 - is more transmissible than the UK/Kent variant - also known as B.1.1.7 - according to experts.

專家稱，去年十月在印度最早發現的名為B.1.617.2的新冠變種毒株比在英國肯特發現的名為B.1.1.7的毒株傳染性更強。

Research suggests that vaccines, such as the Pfizer and AstraZeneca jabs, are highly effective against the Indian variant after two doses, but protection from one dose appears to be reduced.

研究顯示，輝瑞和阿斯利康等疫苗在接種兩劑后對印度變種病毒能產生較高的免疫力，然而單劑的保護力似乎會減弱。

There is no evidence that any mutations of the coronavirus cause much more serious illness for the vast majority of people.

沒有證據表明新冠病毒的任何變異會讓大多數確診患者的病情加重。

As with the original version, the risk remains highest for people who are elderly or have significant underlying health conditions.

和原始毒株一樣，老年人或有重大疾病的人感染病毒后是最容易發展成重癥的。

But a virus being more infectious and equally dangerous will in itself lead to more deaths in an unvaccinated population.

但是在沒有接種疫苗的地區，更具傳染性但同樣危險的病毒會導致更多人死亡。

Vietnam has seen a spike in Covid-19 cases in recent weeks. The country has registered more than 6,700 coronavirus cases since the start of the pandemic. Of those, more than half have been recorded since late April this year.

最近幾周，越南的新冠確診病例數量正在飆升。自從疫情暴發后，越南確診病例數已經超過了6700例。其中超半數都是今年四月底以來確診的。

It has also recorded 47 Covid-related deaths, according to Johns Hopkins University data.

根據約翰斯·霍普金斯大學的數據，截至目前越南的新冠肺炎死亡病例總數為47例。

英文來源：BBC

翻譯&編輯：丹妮