The Delta variant of COVID-19 is super transmissible and most contagious of the virus, according to Dr. Petros Karayiannis, Professor of Microbiology/Molecular Virology at the University of Nicosia Medical School.
He urged the public once more to strictly adhere to personal protective measures and protocols and those who have not been vaccinated to book their appointments the soonest.
Invited by the Cyprus News Agency to comment on Monday’s meeting with the President of the Republic with the scientific advisory group on handling the pandemic, he said the President wants to be updated on the epidemiological picture on the island and see what can be done to stop the increase in cases.
He said the increase is due to lack of personal protective measures and the insufficient vaccination coverage of young people who seem to be the majority of cases at the moment.
Ninety percent of the new cases, he added, are unvaccinated people.
The professor said the increase is likely due to Delta variant. “We are not 100% sure, we hope it is not, but we know that 9% of the cases sent overseas early May were. And some time has passed by since and things have likely changed.
He also said the Delta variant “is the most transmissible variant yet, more contagious than the British variant. Therefore it is super contagious and it looks like it infect mostly young people who have not been vaccinated and even children. And it is more “deadly”, he added.
