The Covid-19 delta variant makes the world a worrying expert and official / article

The Covid-19 delta variant makes the world worried by experts and officialsRihards Plūme00:00 / 05:13

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For example, the rapid increase in the number of infections in Russia is blamed on the delta type and its prevalence is increasing elsewhere. Meanwhile, national governments have wondered how to vaccinate as many people as possible as soon as possible.

The spread of a new variant of coronavirus discovered in India for the first time in the UK was the main reason why the government decided to postpone the last round of deregulation for a month. The lifting of the remaining restrictions in the UK was scheduled for Monday, June 21st. However, the number of infections, albeit slowly, is gradually increasing. In almost all cases, the infection has occurred in the delta type and is now predominant in the UK.

British Health Minister Matt Henkock has previously admitted that the delta variant is thought to be 40% more contagious than the alpha variant that previously dominated the UK. However, British experts point out that vaccines also work well against the delta type, which is why the government is thinking about how to vaccinate as many people as possible.

Currently, 80% of adults in the country have received the first dose of the vaccine. However, further developments, including whether the restrictions will be lifted in a month’s time, are not easy to predict and expert opinions differ.

“Forecasts show a hospitalization rate of a few hundred to several thousand. It is therefore difficult to see exactly where this outbreak will lead. What we are seeing is that more young people are being infected and we know that they are more vulnerable. Of course, the situation has changed compared to winter, when there were many vulnerable people who could get seriously ill and end up in the intensive care unit after spending a long time there, ”said Jonathan Bol, a professor at the University of Nottingham.

Stricter restrictions on British immigrants

Due to the spread of the Delta type, several countries impose restrictions on British immigrants. For example, Italy announced a few days ago that British travelers would have to spend five days in quarantine and take the Covid-19 test. In Italy itself, this variety is still relatively rare, but health authorities have warned that it may spread more rapidly in Italy. Belgium, on the other hand, will ban British entry in order to limit the spread of the delta type in its country. Currently, this type of infection is detected in about 6% of cases in Belgium.

Restrictions on movement had to be imposed on Lisbon due to the rapid spread of the delta option. In Portugal, infection rates have returned to February levels and the delta variant is expected to become dominant in the coming weeks.

Concerns about the possible spread of the delta type also exist in Germany. There is an increase in the prevalence of this species. Several politicians and experts have said that easing restrictions is happening too fast. Health services have warned the government not to continue easing restrictions. Lothar Wheeler, head of the Robert Koha Institute, warned that the new version would hit the public hardest in the autumn. The question is not whether the delta variant will become dominant, but when. More than 50% of the population in Germany have received at least one dose of Covid-19 vaccine. Approximately 30% received the second dose.

Russia has one of the highest infected levels in the world

Russia has seen a significant increase in the number of infections. The infection rate is now one of the highest in the world. A few days ago, Moscow saw the highest number of people infected in a single day since the pandemic began.

The mayor of the capital, Sergei Sobyanin, said that almost 90% of the new cases of Covid-19 are of the delta type: “The latest data we have received show that 89.3% have a coronavirus mutation, the so-called delta or Indian type. It turned out to be more aggressive, it spreads faster. And the most unpleasant thing is that the number of antibodies in the human body must be almost twice as high as in the case of Wuhan virus to fight the strain. ”

Due to the spread of the virus, it was announced that the upcoming parliamentary elections in September will take place over three days, and various restrictions are being introduced in the city again. Compulsory vaccination of city residents working in the service sector against Covid-19 will be carried out in Moscow.

People who have spoken on the streets of Moscow have different opinions about the need for such a step. “If we cannot overcome this problem with voluntary measures, then other methods must be used. There are too many people in serious care in intensive care units. We need to do something about this. However, we cannot turn a blind eye to the fact that hospitals are overcrowded, ”said a Muscovite

The Russian authorities are struggling to persuade the population to be vaccinated, even though a mass vaccination campaign was launched in December. Less than 2 million of Moscow’s 12 million people have been vaccinated. As warned by the Minister of Labor Anton Kotjakov, residents who will refuse mandatory vaccination in areas where it will be needed may be forced to take unpaid leave.

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