Delta variant expected to be dominant Covid-19 strain globally, says WHO chief

World Health Organization (WHO) chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has said that the Delta variant is ripping around the world at a scorching pace, driving a new spike in cases and deaths. He warned that the variant, now in over 104 countries, is expected to soon be the dominant Covid-19 strain circulating globally.

Addressing a press briefing on Monday, Tedros said that last week marked the fourth consecutive week of increasing cases of Covid-19 globally, adding that with concern that after 10 weeks of declines, deaths are increasing again. "The Delta variant is ripping around the world at a scorching pace, driving a new spike in cases and death," Tedros said, according to news agency PTI.

"Delta is now in more than 104 countries and we expect it to soon be the dominant Covid-19 strain circulating worldwide," he said, adding that the world is watching in real-time as the Covid-19 virus continues to change and become more transmissible.

"My message today is that we are experiencing a worsening public health emergency that further threatens lives, livelihoods and a sound global economic recovery. It is definitely worse in places that have very few vaccines, but the pandemic is not over anywhere," he said. Tedros underscored that the world should battle together to put out this Covid-19 pandemic inferno everywhere.

Noting that as the Delta variant spreads, the WHO chief said "We are in the midst of a growing two-track pandemic where the haves and have-nots within and between countries are increasingly divergent."

"In places with high vaccination coverage, Delta, first detected in India, is spreading quickly, especially infecting unprotected and vulnerable people and steadily putting pressure back on health systems. In countries with low vaccine coverage, the situation is particularly bad, he warned.

Tedros stressed that Delta and other highly transmissible variants are driving catastrophic waves of case which are translating into high numbers of hospitalisations and death. "Even countries that successfully managed to ward off the early waves of the virus, through public health measures alone, are now in the midst of devastating outbreaks," he added.