A Message from the President
Variants and Variables by Cindy L. Russell, MD
SCCMA President
Entering the Fall of 2021, we have all become tired of surfing the large COVID waves that keep breaking. But we need to keep our feet firmly planted on the longboard for a bit longer ride on these swells. The latest surge, as we all know, is the highly contagious Delta Variant (B.1.617.2) that made its way from India to Britain to the U.S. to Israel and now dominates the original Alpha (B.1.1.7) strain here. The total deaths to date just surpassed 4.5 million with highest deaths per country in the U.S. at 666,000. Delta: A More Virulent Viral Variant A recent Nature article explains that Delta variant enters the cell more easily. Researchers at the Guangdong Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention reported in a recent study that the Delta virus also multiplies more readily inside the respiratory tract. On average, people infected with the Delta variant had about 1,000 times more copies of the virus in their respiratory tracts than those infected with the original strain of the coronavirus. They also found that it took only four days for Delta to reach detectable levels when a person is first infected versus six days for the original strain. Breakthroughs…for the Virus A Yale report highlights that even vaccinated people can get Delta but the original COVID vaccines do give significant protection against severe illness and hospitalizations. Delta may spread more rapidly among young persons as well. In the U.S. most hospitalizations now are for unvaccinated persons; however, in Israel the statistics are changing. www.sccma.org
Israel is now an important country to study the pandemic as they have a robust health care system, excellent data collection and have fully vaccinated 78% of those 12 years and older (mostly with the Pfizer). Breakthrough infections are now occurring at a high rate in Israel, and over half of the infections now are the Delta variant. Studies indicate that the vaccines are still effective in preventing most cases of serious illnesses or death, but only 59% of those now hospitalized for severe COVID were vaccinated (41% were vaccinated). Israel is now offering booster shots to try and reduce the burden of hospitalizations as staff are once again reaching the point of exhaustion. Lambda has entered the fray, along with the Mu variant in Columbia that has a constellation of mutations that may allow immune escape. Will vaccines continue to be effective as COVID mutates? Will this virus and variants eventually fade away? Variables: Playing it Safe with Community Transmission The WHO and public health officials worldwide are calling for governments to continue basic preventative health measures – wash hands frequently, wear a mask and socially distance – regardless of vaccine status, to reduce the spread of this evolving group of viruses. In a news briefing in Geneva, Dr. Mariangela Simao, WHO assistant director-general for access to medicines and health products, said “People cannot feel safe just because they had the two doses. They still need to protect themselves…Vaccine alone won’t stop community transmission. People need to continue to use masks consistently, be in ventilated spaces, The Bulletin | Third Quarter 2021 | 7
