The highly transmissible Delta SARS-CoV-2 (the virus that causes COVID-19) variant of concern (B.1.617.2) has arrived in the country the Ministry of Health confirmed via a release yesterday. The variant was detected in two unvaccinated nationals who recently returned to Trinidad and Tobago.
Dean of the Faculty of Medical Sciences at the University of Medical Sciences Professor Terence Seemungal described it as an “inevitable outcome.”
“We’ve been expecting it for a while and I’m just surprised we didn’t get it before,” Professor Seemungal said.
His response is not out of place as health officials have collectively warned over the past few months that it’s not a matter of if it will arrive but when.
The Delta variant was first detected in India in December and is now present in some 142 countries worldwide. It’s now the dominant strain circulating in the United States, accounting for 93.4 per cent of new infections by the end of July, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
This is why it’s no surprise the first patient recently entered the country from the US. The second patient, the ministry said travelled to Trinidad from Mexico, transiting through Panama and Guyana. The Delta variant is present in Panama and Mexico and is currently wreaking havoc in the latter. Both travellers had a negative PCR test taken within 72 hours of arrival to the country, according to the ministry. But being unvaccinated, they were placed into state-supervised quarantine as per the entry protocols instituted for the border reopening. This protocol mandates a subsequent PCR test be done on the seventh day after arrival. It was here there positivity was detected and the samples were submitted to the team at UWI for genetic sequencing.
Now that the country’s borders are open and there is emerging research suggesting that even fully vaccinated individuals may be able to transmit the variant in rare breakthrough cases, internal medicine specialist Dr Joel Teelucksingh believes there is value in ramping up genetic sequencing to detect the variant within the population.
Both Dr Teelucksingh and Professor Seemungal concur that vaccination is one of the key solutions to protecting the population when that occurs. This, in conjunction with the public health protocols, will suffice as he noted has already been witnessed in countries where there is a high presence of the variant. To date, the Delta variant has not been found circulating among the population, however, Professor of Molecular Biology and Virology Christine Carrington previously noted that because it was not yet detected does not necessarily mean it is not in circulation. This is why she too advocated for adherence to protocol. Professor Carrington and her team conduct the genetic sequencing on positive samples to screen for variants of concern.
Delta is not the first variant of concern to be detected locally. The Alpha variant (B117) originally discovered in the United Kingdom was first detected in T&T on January 21, 2021, in a repatriated national. However, unlike the Gamma variant (P.1) that originated in Brazil, the Alpha variant did not seed in the population. The first Gamma variant to be found within the country’s borders came in April. The person was an illegal immigrant in Mayaro. The variant has since begun circulating locally and according to health officials is most likely the dominant strain in this country.
Over the last few weeks, the Minister of Health, the Chief Medical Officer and other top health officials revealed they were preparing for the arrival of the Delta variant by training staff, encouraging health care workers to be vaccinated as well as the general public.
Yesterday and earlier this week, the Health Minister and the Principal Medical Officer said more beds will be added to the Intensive Care Unit of the parallel health care system as they put systems in place for the Delta variant.
Only on Tuesday, the Minister said while the field hospital at Jean Pierre Complex was not being occupied, it would not be dismantled since it could be filled up again depending on the impact the Delta variant had on the population when it arrived in this country.
What is the Delta Variant (B.1.617.2)? *use as side bar*
First detected in India in December 2020.
Estimated to be 2 to 4 times more transmissible than the original Wuhan lineage of the virus.
More severe infection i.e. a person is more likely to end up in a hospital or die.
May also lead to an increase in cases of COVID-19 in younger age groups and in those who have been previously infected.
Fully vaccinated people with Delta variant breakthrough infections can spread the virus to others. However, vaccinated people appear to be infectious for a shorter period.
