The Covid-19 Delta variant has been identified in the New Zealand community - we take a look at what we can learn from the experience of other countries.

Aotearoa New Zealand is now dealing with the first community cases of the SARS-CoV-2 Delta variant, a highly contagious coronavirus variant first identified in India in December 2020.

Research and statistics emerging from other countries contains some lessons for us about dealing with Delta.

The Delta variant has spread to many countries across the world, including the United Kingdom where it remains responsible for around 99 percent of new cases.

The United States first announced it had a confirmed COVID-19 case with the Delta variant in March this year. As with the UK, it quickly grew to be the dominating variant.

The phenomenal rise of Delta can be partly attributed to it being about 60 percent more transmissible than the Alpha variant, which was already more transmissible than the original version of the virus, according to research published in the British Medical Journal.

There is also data suggesting that Delta could carry a much higher risk of hospital admission.

A recent study from the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences also found “viral loads in Delta infections are 1,000 times higher” than those caused by previous SARS-CoV-2 variants.

Additionally, wherever there are low vaccination rates, there is a corresponding surge in infections.

Closer to home, Australia is battling to contain Delta and New South Wales has hit a record number of new Covid cases. 

Premier Gladys Berejiklian has repeatedly warned people to stay home and stressed the importance of being fully vaccinated.

Delta vs the Pfizer vaccine

Kiwis are being offered the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine.

According to data published by Public Health England, two doses of the Pfizer vaccine is about 88 percent effective against disease symptoms and 96 percent effective against hospitalisation with the Delta variant.

The same study found the vaccine was approximately 80 percent effective against preventing infection from the Delta variant. 

Scientists came to this conclusion after analysing 14,019 people in England with an infection, 166 of whom were hospitalized.

Vaccines had a protective effect against infections with Delta and hospital cases were milder, the study found. Other international studies agree with these findings.

Locking down against Delta

Wednesday saw Kiwis plunged into a Level 4 lockdown. In a statement on Tuesday, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern assured New Zealanders there is a plan in place and that “going hard and early has worked before”.

“Delta spreads easily through air, so physical distancing is more important than ever,” she said.

However, it is becoming increasingly common to find social media posts questioning whether lockdowns are in fact effective and whether the end justifies the means.

international studies show Covid-19 lockdowns save lives.

What is now known as the ‘Imperial study’ analysed the impact of lockdowns and social distancing in eleven European countries. Researchers found lockdowns had a ‘substantial effect’.

China has successfully deployed various containment and lockdown measures since the beginning of the pandemic in order to control periodic outbreaks.

To control the current Delta-driven outbreak, Chinese authorities are focusing on the most intense social distancing and lockdown measures yet. Based on data from previous lockdown measures, they are now saying lockdowns combined with mass testing and vaccination campaigns is the only way to control the worst outbreak they have seen since Wuhan last year.

The signs and symptoms have changed.

Data emerging from the UK suggests that the symptoms we originally associated with Covid infection have changed.

The top five reported symptoms of the Delta variant are headache, sore throat, runny nose, fever and a persistent cough. These symptoms can all easily be attributed to any common winter ailment, and people may not realise they need to be tested until too late.

The conclusions being drawn across the globe are that there is no single answer to the fight against Delta. The answer may lie in a multi-faceted approach. The advice:

Get tested if you are unwell

Get vaccinated

Lockdowns and social distancing work

All data, statistics and information in this article are based on publicly available data at time of publication.

British Government statistics sourced here.

British Medical Journal reference BMJ 2021;373:n1513 sourced here. 

Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences study sourced here.

UK statistics about vaccine effectiveness sourced here.

Image Unsplash