Virologist: The world is facing two pandemics, “Delta” and “Omicron”

Well-known physicist Roberto Battiston, dubbed a “viral mathematician”, alerted the public to the belief that the delta mutate was no longer valid; Pointing out that there is no evidence of this, “but it is likely that this mutant is the main responsible for the hospitalizations and treatment in the intensive care units, and the deaths that we are currently witnessing.”He said, “We are now in what looks like a confrontation against two different pandemics: one caused by the delta mutant and the second caused by the omicron mutant that causes less serious infections, but its unprecedented speed of transmission may lead us to a virtual complete closure.”

The specialist, who for years was a consultant to the World Health Organization, and is currently the coordinator of the Italian epidemiological observatory, stressed that effectively addressing this complex stage of the health crisis requires a clear distinction between infections with both of these mutations, according to what was reported by the newspaper, “Asharq Al-Awsat”.Battiston explained that the tyranny of the new mutate does not mean that the delta mutator has disappeared or is on the way to disappearing; He pointed out that recent data indicate that Delta still causes 20% of new infections, and continues to apply in all European countries, and that it is behind most of the serious injuries and deaths. He warned that if urgent measures were not taken to enhance the capabilities of emergency departments in hospitals, health systems would collapse within a month at the latest. Because there are a large number of Europeans who have not yet received the vaccine.

The specialist stressed the risks of easing prevention measures and restrictions on movement; Arguing that the Omicron mutant does not cause serious infections, “because we are not facing one enemy; Until now”.

It should be noted that the identification of the mutant from which the infection arises is done through the genetic sequence of the virus, which is a sophisticated technique applied by European countries at a very low rate; Compared to the development of the pandemic, “we are moving in the dark, and using the same weapons against very different targets,” says Battiston, who also calls for attention to the containment of the delta mutant due to its dangerous repercussions on non-vaccinators. He cautions that returning to the reopening of schools would activate its validity; Especially among children, what pushes the crisis to a critical and very complex stage in terms of logistics, with the rapid and massive spread of “Omicron”.