British scientists have recently found evidence that the coronavirus is likely to spread despite nationwide Covid-19 vaccinations. They have warned the government that all measures taken to contain the virus so far could be thwarted.
Delta Variant Contagion Among Vaccinated Individuals
Hundreds of people who have been vaccinated are now being treated in hospitals across the UK with the outbreak of the Delta variant. In the latest Covid-19 update, Public Health England (PHE) warned that there were early signs that vaccinated people could pass it on to others who have not been vaccinated. From 19 July to 2 August, 55.1% of the 1,647 hospitalised patients who had contracted the Delta variant were unvaccinated, while an estimated 35% – 512 people – had received both doses. According to an Oxford University study, those who have received the Pfizer BioNTech vaccine are up to 85% immune to the Delta variant. The rate is 68% for people who have received the AstraZeneca vaccine. But the findings show that Pfizer BioNTech wears off sooner than AstraZeneca, by about 10% after three months.
Delta Variant Spreads with the Removal of Restrictions
Many restrictions were lifted in the UK on 19 July, called “Freedom Day”. All AstraZeneca, Pfizer and Moderna vaccines used in the UK require two doses. About 75% of the British adult population has received two doses so far. “As more of the population gets vaccinated, we will see a higher relative percentage of vaccinated people in hospitals,” PHE said.
Jenny Harries, chief executive of the UK Health Security Agency, said in a statement: “The hospitalisation figures showed once again how important it is that we all come forward to receive both doses of the vaccine as soon as we are able to do so … Vaccination is the best tool we have in keeping ourselves and our loved ones safe from the serious disease risk Covid-19 can pose … However, we must also remember that the vaccines do not eliminate all risk; it is still possible to become unwell with Covid-19 and infect others.”
Most scientists believe that vaccines, although not very effective against the deadly Delta strain, reduce the severity of the disease and the number of hospitalisations. The UK government, meanwhile, has lifted most Covid-19 restrictions, arguing that the majority of the adult population has been vaccinated and that hospitalisations and deaths will be low.
The Results of Research by Scientists on the Delta Variant
Findings by Public Health England are in line with those of the US Center for Disease Control and Prevention, both of which warn of the spread of the Delta variant among vaccinated people. The Delta variant, unlike other species, has a very high rate of transmission. However, vaccines have been shown to protect people from severe disease as well as loss of life, especially after receiving two doses. But little is known about whether vaccinated people can transmit the disease to others. “Some initial findings indicate that the levels of virus in those who become infected with Delta having already been vaccinated may be similar to levels found in unvaccinated people.”
PHE said: “This may have implications for people’s infectiousness, whether they have been vaccinated or not. However, this is early exploratory analysis and further targeted studies are needed to confirm whether this is the case.”
The Delta variant has become the predominant form of the coronavirus worldwide. Over 4.4 million people in the world have lost their lives so far, including more than 131,000 in the UK. The PHE says that about 99% of sufferers in this country are ill with the Delta variant. At the same time, the organisation has warned of a new Covid-19 mutation. Experts have warned that vaccines are less likely to be effective against new variants of the coronavirus found in different countries. Public Health England says other types of alarming mutations have also been observed, including Beta, Alpha and Gamma.
Scientists Warn UK Government: Vaccines Need to be Updated
As doctors warn of new vaccine-resistant strains, Prime Minister Boris Johnson is under pressure to come up with a plan to tackle the new strains of the virus. Scientists in the UK have warned the government that there will be a one-year setback if the vaccines are not effective against emerging strains. Earlier, a senior adviser to the prime minister called on the government to come up with a possible plan for future vaccines against the virus, and suggested that MPs find a way to force ministers to do so.
Scientists Warn Boris Johnson About New Types of Coronavirus
Thousands of people died needlessly as a result of government mistakes in the handling of the coronavirus pandemic, Dominic Cummings has said. The PM’s former top aide said Boris Johnson was “Unfit for the job”, claiming he had ignored scientific advice and wrongly delayed lockdowns. It is vital that people trust Boris Johnson’s strategy in fighting Covid-19 and make sure he does not repeat the mistakes of the past 18 months, as the government relinquishes its public credibility by removing quarantines, making mistakes that cost lives. Trust has been lost and transparency will be the only way to restore it.
New research suggests that the emergence of a more potent virus, on which existing vaccines have little or no effect, is a real possibility. Experts warn the UK government that, in the near future, a new variant of the coronavirus with the power to thwart current vaccines will waste all recent efforts to combat Covid-19. UK government secretaries are under pressure from experts and the scientific community to propose plans to counter any new variants. Scientific advisers believe that such a move could prevent the same events as last year.
