United States of America Scoping: The world grapples with the Delta variant

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By Ivana Kottasová

Wednesday, June 30

WHAT'S NEW THIS WEEK

The more dangerous and transmissible Delta variant is forcing public health officials around the world to rethink Covid-19 measures, even for the vaccinated.
The strain was first identified in India in February, but several countries have this week imposed new restrictions in attempts to stop the variant from causing fresh outbreaks globally.
South Africa entered at least two weeks of lockdown on Sunday, with the government announcing some of the strictest measures since the early months of the pandemic.
In Australia, a cluster of infections of the variant in Sydney led the city of 5 million people into a two-week lockdown. This is frustrating for locals. Australia was celebrated for its initial response to the pandemic. But with that security came complacency, particularly in the federal government, which failed to secure enough vaccine doses to prevent the regular "circuit breaker" lockdowns that come every time a handful of cases emerge. The country's borders have also been all but shut for more than a year.
Meanwhile, a rapidly worsening situation across Russia is forcing the government to take extra steps to boost the country's low vaccine rates. Authorities have tried to cajole people to get the shot by offering sweeteners, such as free cars and circus tickets. But they are also turning to more restrictive measures and employees in Moscow face losing their jobs if they don't get vaccinated when asked to.
But while Russia, Australia and South Africa are struggling with low vaccination rates, the Delta variant is causing concerns even in countries that have inoculated a high proportion of their populations.
It has become dominant in the United Kingdom, where it caused cases to spike last month, forcing authorities to postpone plans to lift restrictions. Britain was hoping to out-vaccinate the Delta variant, opening its rollout to anyone over the age of 18 and pushing forward second doses. But despite having fully vaccinated nearly two-thirds of British adults, the UK is heading towards a potential third wave of Covid-19 and several countries have imposed strict rules on British travelers.
In the US, public health experts are also sounding alarms. The Delta variant has spread to nearly every state, feeding concerns over potential Covid-19 spikes in the fall. The variant is expected to become the dominant coronavirus strain in the US, according to the CDC and its rapid spread is forcing some authorities to rethink protective measures. In Los Angeles County, officials have reinstated mask guidance for public indoor spaces -- regardless of vaccination status.
The good news is that most of the existing Covid-19 shots seem to be effective against the new variant. A study by Public Health England found this month that the Pfizer-BioNTech and Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccines are each highly effective -- at 96% and 92% respectively -- against hospitalizations from the Delta variant after two doses. Moderna's vaccine was found in lab experiments to work against new variants such as the Delta strain, the company said. And Dr. Anthony Fauci, America's top infectious diseases expert, said it's highly likely the Johnson & Johnson vaccine also protects people against the Delta strain.
But to add to the concern, a new and slightly changed version of the Delta variant is now spreading in several countries. B.1.617.2.1 or AY.1 -- Delta Plus for short -- has an extra mutation that affects the spike protein, the part of the virus that attaches to the cells it infects. Because most of the coronavirus vaccines are designed to train the body to recognize the spike protein, or parts of it, there are worries the mutation could affect vaccine efficacy. However, scientists say it's too early to be certain. Other variants with the same mutation were not found to evade vaccines. For now, experts are largely cautioning the public and governments to remain watchful but calm.

THE LATEST NUMBERS

Global Cases

181,856,808

Global Deaths

3,939,034

US Cases

33,653,105

US Deaths

604,476

Source: Johns Hopkins University

YOU ASKED. WE ANSWERED.

What happens when you mix and match different Covid-19 vaccines?

Researchers are still looking into this. A limited study published this week found that mixing and matching the AstraZeneca and Pfizer vaccines still generated a strong immune response.

The study is not as strong as real-world evidence, but it could potentially open the door to more flexibility for places facing logistical or supply challenges to vaccinate their populations.

Send yours here. Are you a health care worker fighting Covid-19? Message us on WhatsApp about the challenges you're facing: +1 347-322-0415.

TOP 3

READS OF THE WEEK

Singapore wants to stop counting Covid cases. Its roadmap could be a model for other countries

Singapore has laid out a new vision for a return to normality.  The roadmap, proposed by three members of Singapore's Covid-19 task force, would scrap lockdowns and mass contact tracing, and allow for quarantine-free travel to resume along with large gatherings.

The proposal is a radical departure from the so-called "zero transmission" model adopted by several countries and territories -- including rival Asian business hub Hong Kong -- which have so far proved successful at avoiding large outbreaks.

But that model, which requires stringent, often punishing quarantine measures, will be almost impossible to maintain as new variants spread. In the long term it's simply unsustainable, the task force members claim; instead, they say living with Covid is possible.

I tested positive for Covid-19 twice in two cities. The responses were vastly different

As someone who has tested positive for Covid-19 in both Britain and Hong Kong, I've experienced the worst of both worlds, writes Pauline Lockwood.

In one, I fell victim to the complete failure to check the disease's spread, and in the other I got caught up in a zealous system intended to completely eradicate Covid-19.

The pandemic's true tragedy is that the virus has killed nearly 4 million people worldwide, but it has also come with widespread repercussions. After undergoing four quarantines, the one when I actually had Covid-19 was the least traumatic. For me, pandemic measures have been far harder to deal with than the disease itself.

The view from Lockwood's room in the Penny Bay quarantine camp in Hong Kong.
Photo: Pauline Lockwood/CNN

The pandemic exposed the devastating consequences of staff shortages in nursing homes

Covid-19 ravaged nursing homes across the United States -- killing more than 132,000 residents and 1,900 staff members as of June 13, according to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). It also highlighted the dire consequences that staff shortages in those long-term care facilities can have.

But experts say this has been a decades-old problem. "Seventy-five percent of the nursing homes had inadequate staffing before the pandemic started," said Charlene Harrington, a professor emerita at the University of California, San Francisco. "It's not surprising that they weren't able to cope with it."

TODAY'S

TOP TIP

While it's a bit of a bummer to think about going back to school before it's even the Fourth of July, in many parts of the US, if you want your child to be immunized against Covid-19 by the time classes start, you need to act fast.

Many large school systems start school in the first two weeks of August.

Since it takes five weeks to be fully vaccinated with Pfizer's vaccine, the only one authorized for adolescents ages 12 to 17, students must get their first shot now in order to be fully immunized by early August.

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