The danger of the Delta variant

Romania reports the highest number of coronavirus cases and related deaths in recent months.

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Daniela Budu, 15.09.2021, 14:00

The number of new infections with SARS-Cov-2 has almost tripled in two weeks alone in Romania. A record number of cases has been reported, putting pressure on intensive care units which are already full in many medical units. Little over 800 hospital beds are currently available for patients in critical condition, and almost all have already been occupied. Authorities are struggling to double the number of hospital beds, as thousands of people infected are being treated in medical units and their number keeps growing. Among them are minors, some of them with severe symptoms.

The National Public Health Institute has announced that the Delta variant of the virus is more and more frequent, accounting for over 40% of infections and is expected to spread fast. Coronavirus hotbeds have also been reported and additional protection measures have been taken in a number of localities, after an alarming increase in the number of cases. According to the head of the mass vaccination campaign, Valeriu Gheorghita, the Delta variant spreads faster than previous variants, which makes authorities expect an overwhelming number of infections. According to statistics, one in two Romanians is vulnerable to the virus, for not being vaccinated or nor having had the disease.

The main danger is the fact that the Delta variant spreads faster and generates more severe forms of the disease, affecting mostly people who have not been vaccinated. Valeriu Gheorghita: “Unfortunately, we see an increasing number of people who need intensive care in a rather short time, which is worrying from my viewpoint. Of the people diagnosed with SARS-CoV-2, over 80% of those infected and more than 92% of those who died from it, did not get immunized.”

Authorities say that under these circumstances, vaccination, mask wearing and avoiding crowded places continue to be the best protection measures against the disease. Valeriu Gheorghita hopes that a third dose of the anti-Covid vaccine will be administered as of October, following a decision of the European Medicine Agency. The pace of the mass vaccination campaign in Romania continues to be slow, in spite of numerous calls for vaccination from experts and authorities. A little over 5.2 million Romanians have been fully vaccinated, which is one third of the eligible population. (EE)