Introduction
pneumonia
VIRUS, PNEUMONIA
In late December 2019, a group of patients with pneumonia of unknown etiology was reported in Wuhan, Hubei province, China [After applying many COVID-19 control measures (shutting down Wuhan on the 23rd of January, blocking all travel to and from the city), the daily number of cases in China subsequently decreased. In contrast, large clusters were reported in an increasing number other countries.In Vietnam, the first case was identified on January 23, 2020 [SARS-CoV-2 is an enveloped, positive-sense single-stranded RNA virus. Its 30 kilobase genome features a rapid mutation rate, and nucleotide changes accumulate over time. Identifying and following mutations helps to minimize adverse public health impacts. Southern Vietnam is one of three geographic regions which includes 20 provinces and a principal megalopolis, Ho Chi Minh, with a population of around 9 million people. Here, we studied the epidemiology of COVID-19, including whole-genome sequencing of SARS-CoV-2 samples from Southern Vietnam, during the period from January 2020 to December 2021. Identification of the main circulating variants during the pandemic in Vietnam and their succession is valuable information needed by scientists, policy makers, and health professionals.