Geneva, 21 June 2021 – While in Italy, as has already happened in other European countries, the march towards normality continues and from June 28th also falls the obligation of the mask outdoors, the technical unit anti-Covid WHO raises the alarm for the worrying expansion of Delta variant. The mutation of Covid, explained Maria Van Kherkove at a press conference, is the “fastest” to spread and could take advantage of the relaxation of restrictions in many countries to expand.
Delta variant: the WHO
“This variant worries us a lot and it already circulates in 92 countries“stressed Van Kherkove.” Now he has the opportunity to pass on with increasing socialization, if the relaxation of restrictions occurs too quickly “in a phase in which large sections of the population are not yet vaccinated”.
A positive note is: “On the other hand – explains Van Kherkove – the mutation does not appear to be linked to an increase in mortality and vaccines continue to prove effective in combating it.” In any case, it is important to underline that it is necessary to receive two doses of the vaccine to be completely protected, “he added.
The virologist’s predictions
Per Fabrizio Pregliasco “the delta variant is certainly increasing the cases but it is too early to say if it will be a dramatic wave like the previous ones in Great Britain. We hope it will be just a tail shot of the epidemic, held back by vaccines but also by the warm season. pay attention to the data for the coming days “.
Delta variant, Italy fifth in the world
Galli: “His infections are rarely followed here”
Italy is fifth in the world for the percentage of cases due to the Delta variant, 26% according to the Financial Times estimates for the period between January 1 and June 16, 2021; 9% according to the estimates of the Ceinge-Advanced Biotechnology center for the last month and which mark an increase compared to the 3.4% that resulted from the analysis relating to the period between May 15 and June 16. In both cases the source is the international database Gisaid, in which all the countries of the world deposit the genetic sequences of the SarsCoV2 virus.
According to Financial Times estimates Great Britain and Portugal it is the countries that have the highest concentration of the Delta variant, with 98% and 96% respectively, among the countries that have deposited the sequences. The United States follows with 31%, then Italy (26%), Belgium (16%), Germany (15%), France (6.9%).
The ranking of the regions
Most of the sequences that correspond to the Delta variant come from Puglia (38, or about 35%), followed by Trentino Alto Adige (28, 26%), Veneto (20, circa 18%), Umbria (11, 10%), Sardinia (5, 5%),Campania (3, 3%), Lazio, Sicily and Lombardy (1 each, 1%).
Few sequences collected
That we must go fishing for data in this sea of sequences is due, unfortunately, to the fact that with the exception of Great Britain, the whole world is collecting few sequences of the virus and Italy is no exception. Here the Ministry of Health has ordered a new rapid investigation to estimate the spread in the country of the main variants of the coronavirus in Italy, starting from the Delta and which will take into consideration the samples notified on June 22, of which the genetic sequences will be obtained.
Israel: vaccinating teenagers
In the meantime, Israel is working to curb Covid-19 infections linked to international arrivals, fearing that the Delta variant could spread. And in the last few hours, the Ministry of Health has recommended vaccinating young people between 12 and 15 as soon as possible. For that age group, the vaccine has already been available for several weeks, but so far the government has only recommended it.
Canada, no quarantine for vaccinated
From next 5 July, the Canandians who return home and test negative for the Coronavirus will no longer have to do the two weeks of quarantine planned to date, the Ottawa government announced, specifying that the vaccines must be those approved (Moderna, Pfizer, AstraZeneca and Johnson & Johnson) to avoid having to be quarantined.
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