What is the current prevalence of the Indian variant of coronavirus in Lithuania and Estonia?

In Lithuania, infection with the Indian or delta variant of the new coronavirus has been recorded in a total of 23 cases, but in recent days, 17 cases have been detected by sequencing alone in six counties, on Wednesday, June 30, the National Public Health Center (NVSC) reported.

In Lithuania, in recent days, infection with the Indian or delta variant of the new coronavirus has been detected in people who have not returned from abroad or have been in contact with migrants from other countries, the NVSC reported on Wednesday, June 30. According to Ģiedre Aleksiene, Head of the Infectious Diseases Control Division of the NVSC, the data of epidemiological studies allow concluding that this type of virus is spreading in Lithuania itself.

“Until now, we have recorded cases of the delta type, which were assessed as imported, ie whether the infected persons had traveled themselves or became infected after contact with people who had been abroad. Meanwhile, three of the latest cases cannot be considered imported, because people have indicated that they have not been abroad or encountered someone who has returned from another country, ”said Aleksiene.

Such cases have been registered in Vilnius and Utena counties.

NVSC specialists have indicated that according to the latest scientific findings, vaccines also protect against new types of the virus.

“We have scientific evidence that vaccines also work against the delta type. Two vaccines protect against symptoms by about 80% and severe disease by about 92-96%. This is more than enough reason to vaccinate – especially seeing the influence of the delta type in other countries, ”said Daiva Razmuviene, a representative of the NVSC, epidemiologist.

Meanwhile, Mari Anne Herma, Deputy Director General of the Estonian Department of Health, told the Estonian public broadcaster ERR radio station Vikerraadio that the Indian or delta type of coronavirus has not become dominant in Estonia today, although its share of the total number of detected infections had started to rise rapidly in early June.

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According to her, the virus is currently spreading in certain areas in Estonia, so specialists are better able to trace it, but the risks are posed by cross-border contacts with Russia, where this type is predominant. “Residents of the East Viru County are allowed to go shopping on the Russian side of the border, they bring petrol from there, they have relatives living there, but often they also take the virus home,” said Herm.

Estonian health experts were initially worried that the Indian strain of the virus would rapidly become dominant in the country, as its share suddenly rose from 7% to 25% in early June, but then slowed to 27% the following week and now stands at 33%. .