Covid-19: After devastating India, Delta variant threatens UK’s unlock from June 14

Virendra Pandit 

New Delhi: After leaving a trail of deaths and devastation in India’s second wave of Covid-19, the Delta variant of Covid-19, or the B1.617.2 highly transmissible Variant of Concern (VoC) first identified in the South Asian nation, has now become the dominant VoC in the United Kingdom, threatening its reopening from June 14.

The deadly variant may also come with an increased risk of hospitalization, health officials in Britain said, according to media reports on Friday. The UK plans to end all lockdown restrictions from June 21.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has already said he is ruling nothing out as this variant had caused havoc weeks after India eased restrictions in March. Clearly, London has learned a lesson from India.

Indications that the UK may yet review its decision to reopen from June 14 came when its medicines regulator said on Friday it had extended approval of the Covid-19 vaccine developed by Pfizer and BioNTech for its use on 12- to 15-year-olds.

According to officials of Public Health England (PHE), which monitors all Covid variants in the country, the Delta variant infections spiked by 5,472 in a week to 12,431 on Thursday. The latest statistics have led experts to conclude that Delta may overtake Alpha, the VOC first detected in the Kent region of England.

“With this variant now dominant across the UK, it remains vital that we all continue to exercise as much caution as possible,” said Dr. Jenny Harries, Chief Executive, UK Health Security Agency.

PHE also said early evidence suggests there may be an “increased risk of hospitalization” with Delta compared to Alpha, “although more data is needed for us to have more confidence in that finding”.

According to officials, compared to last week’s 201, this week 278 people with the Delta variant attended hospital in an emergency.

“Once again, the majority of these persons had not been vaccinated,” PHE said, in reference to its previous studies which showed that two doses of the Covid-19 vaccines are “highly effective” against the Delta VOC.

The areas most affected by the Delta variant remain in the northwest of England with Bolton, where cases have risen by 795 to 2149, and Blackburn with Darwen which has seen 368 new cases, bringing it to 724 in total.

PHE said there are “encouraging signs” that the transmission rate in Bolton has begun to fall and that the actions taken by residents and local authority teams have been successful in reducing spread.

Experts have, however, alerted the people to “remain cautious” as the country approaches the next stage of the roadmap, with June 21 scheduled as a date for an end of all lockdown restrictions.

“Variant cases are on the increase in several areas and it is absolutely crucial that everyone plays their part in preventing their spread,” PHE said.

In Bolton, local teams have gone door-to-door in targeted areas on consecutive weekends to distribute test kits, share vital safety messages and encourage people to get the vaccine at a local drop-in center.

Blackburn with Darwen has also seen local teams making door-to-door visits, and over 10,000 additional PCR tests have been given out.

Mobile testing units have been deployed to the area and wastewater sampling continues, in order to track the spread of the variant.