Delta variant, a warning that the COVID-19 virus is getting “fitter and faster” |

Almost 4 million cases worldwide were reported to WHO last week and the agency expects the total number of cases to exceed 200 million in the next two weeks.

“And we know that is an understatement,” said Chief Executive Officer Tedros Adhanom Gebreyesus during his regular COVID-19 briefing.

Infections have increased in all parts of the world, some have even reached 80% more in the last month. In Africa, deaths have increased by 80% during the same period, the official warned.

Outmoded

Tedros blamed the increase in cases on increased social mix and mobility, inconsistent use of public health and social measures, and inequitable use of vaccines. He said “hard-earned gains” are threatened or lost, and health systems in many countries are increasingly overwhelmed.

“WHO has warned that COVID-19 virus has changed since it was first reported, and it keeps changing. So far, four worrisome variants have emerged, and there will be more as long as the virus continues to spread, “he said.

Higher viral load

WHO Chief Epidemiologist and COVID-19 Technical Officer Dr Maria Van Kerkhove explained that the Delta variant has certain mutations that allow the virus to adhere to human cells more easily and that experts are also finding a higher viral load in infected people.

She called Delta “Dangerous and most transmissible SARS-CoV-2 virus to date”.

“Some laboratory studies suggest that there is an increase in replication in some of the modeled human airway systems,” she added.

In terms of severity, Dr Van Kerkhove pointed out that there has been an increase in hospitalizations in some countries affected by the variant, “but we have not yet seen an increase in mortality”.

The WHO expert recalled that although there is some data that suggests that vaccinated people can be infected and transmit the variant, the likelihood is greatly reduced after the second dose has been administered and has reached its full effectiveness.

She also clarified that Delta does not specifically target children as some reports have suggested, but warned that as long as the variants circulate, they will infect anyone who does not take the proper precautions.

Continue to evolve

“It is in the best interests of the virus to evolve, viruses are not alive, they don’t have a brain to think about, but they get fitter as they circulate, so the virus will probably become still more transmissible because that’s what viruses do, they evolve, they change over time, ”warned Dr Van Kerkhove, echoing Tedros’ remarks.

“We have to do what we can to bring it downShe added, recalling that public health and social measures work against the Delta variant and that vaccines prevent illness and death.

Dr Michael Ryan, WHO’s executive director for health emergencies, said that even with the virus becoming “faster and fitter,” the Game plan does not change, but it needs to be implemented more effectively.

“Delta is a warning that this virus is evolving, but it is also a call to action before more dangerous variants emerge,” he said.

Blows for Africa

Last month, the WHO chief announced the establishment of a technology transfer center for mRNA vaccines In South Africa as part of WHO’s efforts to increase vaccine production and distribution in Africa.

“Today, we have taken a new step, with a letter of intent which defines the conditions of collaboration signed by the hub partners: OMS; the Medicines Patent Pool; Afrigen Biologics; Southern African Biologics and Vaccines Institute; the South African Council for Medical Research and the African Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, ”explained Tedros.

He added that the WHO goal remains to help each country immunize at least 10% of its population by the end of September, at least 40% by the end of this year and 70% by the end of this year. the middle of next year.

“We are a long way from achieving these goals. So far, just over half of countries have fully vaccinated 10% of their population, less than a quarter of countries have vaccinated 40% and only 3 countries have vaccinated 70%, ”Tedros warned.

The WHO chief recalled that the global vaccine distribution remains unfair, despite warnings and appeals from experts, and said all regions remain at risk, “none more than Africa”.

“On current trends, nearly 70% of African countries will not reach the 10% vaccination target by the end of September,” he warned.

New tool to fight Delta

Tedros also announced that in response to the delta surge, WHO Access to the COVID-19 Tool Accelerator Launches the Rapid ACT-Accelerator Delta Response, or RADAR, and Urges US $ 7.7 Billion for Tests, Treatments and Vaccines.