The emergence of the Delta variant, and future variants, will change the way Australia – and the world – contains the pandemic. | OPINION covid19 Delta pandemic
The growing outbreak of COVID-19 in Sydney’s suburbs has cast a spotlight on the Delta variant of the SARS-CoV-2 virus. We are now on day 28 of the outbreak and already 864 cases have been reported, whereas during Victoria’s second wave this number was not reached until Day 38.
Apart from coronaviruses, influenza viruses are a well-studied example of an RNA virus that mutates frequently, in fact more frequently than coronaviruses. In fact, much of our knowledge of how viruses change comes from observing the influenza virus. The influenza virus mutates so often that each year a new vaccine has to be developed to provide protection against seasonal flu.
According to a UK study, the initial symptoms associated with the Delta strain are different from those experienced in 2020. The top five symptoms are headache, sore throat, runny nose, fever and cough. Loss of smell comes in at number 9 and shortness of breath comes far down the list at number 30.Compared with this time last year, we now have two important advantages: a range of safe and effective vaccines and a greater understanding of how the virus spreads and how it can be contained.
Communications with the public to encourage testing need to point out the change in common symptoms that now resemble winter colds. Because Delta spreads so rapidly it is important to quickly identify close contacts and their contacts to ensure they test and isolate.
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