The recent epidemic in the UK has returned to a peak. 99% of new cases have been infected with the Indian variant COVID-19, and the risk of death in hospital has doubled. Therefore, the British government stipulates that immigrants must be tested according to travel risks regardless of whether they have been vaccinated or not, with a maximum of two PCR tests.
International studies have found that the overall risk of hospitalization and severe death of the Indian variant COVID-19 is more than twice that of the British variant COVID-19, and the proportion of children aged 5 to 9 years infected with the Indian variant COVID-19 is higher than that of the British variant COVID-19. Regardless of whether they are vaccinated with BNT or AZ COVID-19 vaccine, two doses are required to achieve this. It is similar to the protection against the British variant COVID-19.
Scholars pointed out that the Indian variants have increased significantly in all regions of the world, reaching as high as 50% in Oceania, 30% in Asia, and 20% in North America and Europe. Taiwan has now detected five cases of Indian variant COVID-19s imported from abroad. Although the British vaccination rate is as high as 60%, 99% of the new cases are Indian variant COVID-19s. In order to control the epidemic, it was decided to postpone the release for one month, hoping to increase the population receiving two doses. The UK is also recruiting 3,000 people for clinical trials, hoping to compare the protective effects of the seven vaccines as the third dose against the Indian variant.
The British government has extended the unblocking. In addition to continuing to close nightclubs, pubs and other business premises, limiting the number of large-scale events, it also implements different testing measures according to travel history, regardless of whether vaccinated or not, the rules must be followed. The British government requires passengers to produce negative certificates. Passengers with low risk levels need only one PCR test; passengers with medium risk levels must be isolated at home for 10 days plus two PCR tests, with an interval of eight days; travelers with high risk levels must be quarantined at hotels 10 Two days plus two PCR tests, with an interval of eight days between the two.
Australia is affected by the mutant strain but is still under effective control. In addition to full vaccination, tens of thousands of screenings per day, mandatory outdoor masks, and large-scale sewage testing. Japan’s confirmed Indian variant COVID-19 reached 30%, and the vaccination rate was only 16.4%, which is worrying. Although Singapore’s immunization rate is nearly 50%, 5/16 also adopted austerity measures such as lockdowns and large-scale screening in an attempt to control the epidemic, June 21 the restaurant is open for dining on Sundays, but only two people are allowed to share a table.
The Scottish study found that the risk of hospitalization for the Indian variant COVID-19 is 1.85 times that of the British variant COVID-19, and the proportion of Indian variant COVID-19s infected between 5 and 9 years old is higher than that of the British variant COVID-19. The Singapore study showed that the Indian variant COVID-19 has a higher disease severity. The combined results of oxygen demand, intensive care unit admission and death, the risk of infection with the Indian variant COVID-19 is more than twice that of the British variant COVID-19.
In order to fight against the Indian variant COVID-19, in addition to strengthening border controls, countries are also accelerating the second dose. Scotland monitors the effectiveness of the vaccine against the mutant strain and found that if two doses of AZ or Pfizer are given, the protection against the Indian variant COVID-19 is 60% and 90%, which is equivalent to the protection against the British variant COVID-19.