There are currently four worrying viral variants of the SARS-CoV-2 virus in the world: the Alpha variant, the British strain – the beta variant, the South African strain – the gamma variant, the Brazilian strain – and the delta variant, the Indian strain. The latter, Dr. Valeriu Gheorghiţă points out, is 50% more contagious than the British one, the latter being considered so far as having the highest transmission rate, of 30-50% compared to the initial version in Wuhan, China. The basal reproduction rate of the delta variant (Indian strain) is 5, meaning that a sick patient can infect five other people, double what has been happening so far.
This delta variant of SARS-CoV-2 has already been detected in 74 countries, becoming the dominant strain of the virus that continues to spread, according to The Guardian. In fact, its identification in a large number of cases led the United Kingdom to postpone the relaxation measures by a few weeks. In England and Scotland, doctors believe that patients infected with this strain have a higher risk of hospitalization.
New symptoms have been identified
By autumn, this variant will become dominant in European countries that will be hit by a fourth wave of infections, experts point out.
According to Tim Spector, a professor of epidemiology at King’s College London, UK, COVID-19 acts differently now, in the sense that it can be mistaken for a bad cold. People can still go out in the city by meeting each other and thus spreading the infection. Spector also said that the number one symptom is headache, followed by sore throat, fever and runny nose.
According to Bloomberg, doctors in India have identified new signs of illness in addition to those already known. It is about hearing impairments, severe gastric disorders – nausea, vomiting, stomach pain. Doctors have also identified clots in the blood vessels that supply the intestines, which makes patients suffer from stomach pain, and this is often their only symptom.
Some patients infected with the delta strain develop microthrombosis – small blood clots – so severe that it causes tissue death, gangrene and limb amputation. Specialists said they were amazed by the large number of patients without clotting problems who end up developing blood clots. “This virus has become very unpredictable,” said Dr. Abdul Ghafur, an infectious disease doctor at Apollo Hospital in Chennai, a city in southern India. The most alarming aspect of the current wave in India is the speed with which the virus is spreading, including among children, Dr. Chetan Mundada, a pediatrician in Hyderabad, has sounded the alarm. Dr. Abdul Ghafur also said that new vaccines must be prepared for new variants of the virus. “We can’t get ahead of the virus, but we can at least keep up with it,” the Indian doctor recommended.
Vaccination rate – the decisive factor
The delta variant, also known as B.1.617.2, has triggered travel restrictions in Australia and the United States, and in Singapore it is linked to 95% of new COVID-19 cases.
A study conducted by the University of New South Wales, Australia, last month, pointed out that the beta and gamma variants of SARS-CoV-2 did not cause any unusual signs of disease.
The World Health Organization’s weekly epidemiological report on the COVID-19 pandemic notes that it has become clear that there are more risks to the population from delta strain infection compared to other strains that have had lower transmission rates.
In Germany, researcher Karl Lauterbach said that the delta variant will probably become the most widespread in Germany in the coming months. Complete avoidance of this situation is impossible, he added. “The decisive factor is the very high vaccination rate which reduces mortality. But with growing evidence that the delta and at least one other variant could bypass antibodies created by vaccination, pharmaceutical companies are under pressure to adjust their existing vaccines or create new ones, “the researcher concluded.
18.6 million cases of COVID-19 were reported by India in 2021, up from 10.3 million last year. The delta variant was the “main cause” behind the second wave.
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