Delta is the most transmissible of the variants identified so far, has been identified in at least 85 countries, and is spreading rapidly among unvaccinated populations said World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus at a media briefing on Friday.
As some countries ease public health and social measures, Tedros said WHO is seeing increases in transmission around the world and is spreading rapidly among unvaccinated populations. More cases means more hospitalizations, further stretching health workers and health systems, which increases the risk of death.
As we have said, new variants are expected and will continue to be reported – that’s what viruses do, they evolve - but we can prevent the emergence of variants by preventing transmission. It’s quite simple: more transmission, more variants. Less transmission, less variants. That makes it even more urgent that we use all the tools at our disposal to prevent transmission: the tailored and consistent use of public health and social measures, in combination with equitable vaccination. This is why WHO has been saying for at least a year that vaccines must be distributed equitably, to protect health workers and the most vulnerable.
