Hampering Corona Volume Two (Serial 1): Delta Variant Attacks and Lessons from Other Countries

JAKARTA – It seems that all people in all parts of the world have not been able to breathe freely regarding the case of the COVID-19 pandemic. Appearing for the first time in late 2019 in China, the spread of this virus has not shown any signs of abating.

In fact, no one can predict when this case will end. In handling it, the government together with health workers are trying their best to reduce the number of cases of exposed patients.

However, now a new variant of COVID-19 called Delta is here to add to everyone’s unrest. The reason is, this variant is claimed to be easier to spread than the previous variant.

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As is known, the Delta variant (B:1,617.2) was first discovered in Maharashtra, India, in October last year.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), this mutation allows the virus to bind to the cells of the human body so that the body’s immune response will decrease or slowly weaken.

Symptoms of Delta Variant

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Patients with this variant also experience more diverse symptoms. In addition to fever, shortness of breath, headache, and anosmia or loss of taste and smell, sufferers also experience fatigue.

Then, other symptoms include muscle or body pain, sore throat, stuffy nose or runny nose, and nausea and vomiting.

Each patient may experience only a few of the symptoms, but there are also those who suffer from diarrhea, abdominal pain, loss of appetite, hearing loss and blood clots, to gangrene.

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Gangrene itself is a term to describe the death of body tissue caused by a lack of blood supply.

In response to this, WHO emphasized that the Delta variant needs serious attention. This institution last May included this type of virus into the category of variant of concern (VOC). Besides Delta, there are three other VOCs that have already appeared, namely Alpha (B.1.17), Beta (B.1.351), and Gamma (P.1).

Delta Plus Appears, Infects Faster

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In its transmission, the Delta variant is reported to infect quicker. The spread rate is 50% faster compared to Alpha. Therefore, this virus results in a higher severity of pain.

After two weeks of infection, patients affected are said to have 1.6 times faster potential to enter the Emergency Unit (ER). Thus, the effectiveness of various strategies and actions of medical personnel may decrease due to this threat.

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In fact, the latest news on June 7, 2021, the Delta variant has given rise to a mutation under the name Delta Plus (AY.1). This mutation has struck in three states, namely Maharashtra, Kerala, and Madhya Pradesh through the discovery of dozens of new patient cases.

Not much different from the Delta variant, Delta Plus further improves transmissibility. In addition, it easily binds to lung cell receptors and reduces a person’s antibody response. This is because Delta Plus shows signs of resistance to monoclonal antibody treatment, one of the therapeutic methods for COVID-19 patients approved by the Central Drugs Standard Control Organization (CDSCO).

More than 80 Infected Countries

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Regarding the Delta variant, WHO said that detection of this virus has been found in more than 80 countries, including Indonesia.

Based on a report from the Ministry of Health (Kemenkes), cases of the new variant of COVID-19 on June 22 increased to 309 cases. The Delta variant is the dominant contributor here, namely 254 cases, while the remaining 49 are from the Alpha variant and the other six are from the Beta variant. “A total of 309 cases of this new variant were found in 14 provinces. The Delta variant that infects the most is found in nine provinces,” said Director of Prevention and Control of Directly Infectious Diseases at the Ministry of Health, Siti Nadia Tarmizi in Jakarta, Saturday, June 26, 2021.

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The nine provinces in question are DKI Jakarta (96), Central Java (80), West Java (48), East Java (18), South Sumatra (3), Central Kalimantan (3), East Kalimantan (3), Banten (2 ), and South Kalimantan (1).

Of concern, this Delta variant mutation is said to have a tendency to attack children under the age of 18. Children’s immune system is one of the factors that make them easily exposed to this virus. The status of patients with the Delta variant in these pediatric patients was found in a number of hospitals in Indonesia. Some are even 10 years old.

Kudus is the city that “accommodates” the Delta variant the most. In each examination sample, almost all of them are Delta variants. It was recorded that from April to early June, 78 suspected genomes were examined by the Ministry of Health, the results showed that 62 people or 79.49% of them were confirmed positive for the Delta variant.

The Spread of Delta Variants in Other Countries

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So, how does this Delta variant attack other countries? The following is a summary of TrenAsia.com collected from various sources.

England

The UK is the country most affected by the Delta variant. Public Health England (PHE) reported that the increase in positive cases of the Delta variant in the past week increased by 35,204 cases. This brings the total confirmed cases to 111,157 cases.

Experts argue that the massive spread of this new variant is due to the volume of travel or mobility in the UK.

Although it had postponed the planned opening of the lockdown on June 21 to July 19, 2021, the Delta variant spread faster.

At the beginning of its appearance, there were at least 500 tourists who entered and infected cases of the Delta variant in England. Moreover, a positive person likely to transmit the virus to three people at once. The UK also said it would accelerate the vaccination program, especially aimed at the 40-year-old age group.

The development of the total average number of patients confirmed positive for COVID-19 in the UK in seven days reached 11,213. Meanwhile, new cases found as of June 26, 2021, reached 14,809 cases.

United States of America

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In recent weeks, the increase in the number of patients who were confirmed positive for COVID-19 in Uncle Sam’s country came from the Delta variant. White House Chief Medical Adviser, Anthony Fauci, said this variant outbreak had penetrated into 20% of positive cases of COVID-19 in the US.

Despite speeding up the injection of the vaccine in the first 150 days, the local government had to pace with the speed of mutation of the Delta variant virus. It is known, there are 300 million vaccine doses targeted for completion in this batch.

“We are heading into summer, but the conditions are very different from previous years which were full of joy and excitement. I have to be honest about the good and bad sides of the current situation,” US President Joe Biden said in a press release last weekend.

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Based on data from the White House’s handling of COVID-19, 90% of vaccinations have been injected for those aged 65 years and over, 75% for those aged 45 years and over, and 70% for those aged 30 and over.

Biden added that there was a decrease in the number of deaths in some places that had been “nests” for patients. However, in less vaccinated states, such as Alabama and Mississippi, patients are also getting worse through an increase in cases.

Thus, Biden’s target to vaccinate 70% of its citizens on the US Independence Day is still difficult to achieve and far from expectations. Moreover, there are still many Americans who have a high level of doubt about the efficacy of the vaccine. This is because the average daily number of people taking vaccinations has decreased.

In addition, the majority of Americans have also begun to remove their masks in public places. This makes the transmission of the Delta variant faster. The opening of economic activities that are currently taking place is also considered too early.

As of June 26, 2021, the number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the US reached 6,685. The average addition in the last seven days was 11,867 cases.

China

In late May to early June 2021, China reported 96 cases of positive COVID-19 patients from the Delta variant. Reportedly, the first patient with this variant was a woman who contracted the virus after visiting a restaurant.

As a result, this prompted the authorities in Guangdong Province, China to take measures to isolate the area and conduct mass testing. The cluster is spread in several big cities, such as Beijing, Shanghai, and Foshan.

Immediate closures, including metro stations in the city as well as flight cancellations from Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport.

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As for Liwan, which has the most spread, the district has taken strict lockdown measures. Residents are not allowed to leave their buildings in certain zones. In addition, an active monitoring post was established for 24 hours. In terms of economic movement, places of entertainment and restaurants are also closed.

The latest data compiled as of June 20, 2021, showed that there were 109 new cases found in China with an average addition of 155 cases for seven days.

New Zealand

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This country is one that is claimed to have succeeded in containing the spread of COVID-19. This is because the latest cases found there were recorded at the end of February 2021.

However, it seems that the COVID-19 variant is not picky about places, especially the new mutation of the Delta variant. An Australian tourist who was confirmed positive for the Delta variant has made New Zealand reconsider the lockdown option.

This option is also based on the increasing number of cases that continue to occur in Sydney. The local government does not want to free quarantine for incoming tourists. It is feared that this tourist mobility will lead to the addition of new cases of the Delta variant.

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For information, New Zealand’s achievements are pinned by The Lowy Institute, a rating agency based in Sydney assesses the way the local government handles it.

In the face of the pandemic, the country has imposed restrictions on activities from an early age. The government there also applies strict rules regarding closures and restrictions or lockdowns. On the other hand, the community is also considered to be orderly in complying with health protocols, such as carrying out activities without crowds.

Then most importantly, since the beginning of the pandemic, the local government has actively tracked up to 10,000 tests per day, and banned international travel by closing all of the country’s borders.

Data on June 26, 2021, found no additional cases or zero cases in New Zealand. Finally, there were only 4 new cases recorded on June 25, 2021. (SKO)

This article is a series of special reports that will be continued in the next issue entitled “ Hampering Corona Volume Two.”

Writer: Aprilia Ciptaning
Editor: Sukirno