The Rwandan government is conducting a “comprehensive study” to track the possible existence of the Delta variant of Covid-19 in the country, after the health ministry detected scientific evidence of the highly infectious variant among local cases.
The bad news were communicated by Rwanda Health Minister, Dr Daniel Ngamije on Thursday.
A major concern globally right now, Delta is a highly contagious (and possibly more severe) SARS-CoV-2 virus strain, which was first identified in India in December.
“As it stands, the tests being conducted prove the signs of delta variant in Rwanda,” he expressed.
“We are currently getting new symptoms; some of the patients are reporting with severe headache, general fatigue and lack of oxygen which are all vital signs of this variant,” he said in a broadcast on state media.
“Another potential reason is that it comes with severe forms of symptoms and a high probability of death: This is one of the reasons we’re experiencing double digit fatality in a day,” he noted.
The highly infectious COVID-19 variant is feared to have mutated into a deadlier virus which is capable of resisting even the monoclonal antibodies cocktail currently prescribed as cure.
Medical practitioners assert that the COVID-19 Delta variant which was first detected in India can mutate more than 4500 times in three months making it difficult to manage.
The delta variant is also 60% more transmissible which implies a higher infection rate and 2.2 times more likely to cause hospitalization.
According to experts, people who have not been vaccinated against COVID-19 are most at risk of catching the delta variant. The most important thing you can do to protect yourself from Delta is to get fully vaccinated, the doctors say.
However, whether or not you are vaccinated, Doctors say, it’s also important to follow WHO and CDC prevention guidelines that are available for vaccinated and unvaccinated people.