BackPandemic not over yet! Another outbreak of Delta or new Covid variant likely this summer: Study
Covid-19 pandemic: According to a modeling study, it said the Omicron variant of coronavirus may wane, but there could be another outbreak of the Delta variant or a new strain of Covid this summer
PremiumAn Israel-based study has claimed that the world will witness a new Covid-19 outbreak soon. According to a modeling study, it said the Omicron variant of coronavirus may wane, but there could be another outbreak of the Delta variant or a new strain of Covid this summer.
The finding, published last week in the journal Science of The Total Environment, suggests that while Delta wiped out the variants that preceded it, Omicron has not eliminated the deadly variant which could re-emerge.
The researchers from Ben-Gurion University of the Negev (BGU) in Israel developed sensitive arrays which can differentiate variants from each other in wastewater. And, the researchers claimed that coronavirus is still active, even when PCR and rapid testing of people declines.
The researchers have observed a "disturbing interaction" between the Omicron and Delta variants in Beer-Sheva city of Israel from December 2021 to January 2022.
Until now, the researchers said, whenever a new, dominant, variant appeared, it overpowered its predecessor after a short parallel period.
However, in contrast to the expected dynamics whereupon the Delta variant diminishes as the Omicron variant increases, results received from wastewater detection indicated a cryptic circulation of Delta even with the increased levels of Omicron, they said.
"According to the developed model, it can be expected that the Omicron levels will decrease until eliminated, while Delta variant will maintain its cryptic circulation," the authors of the study noted.
The researchers noted that the deployment of wastewater-based epidemiology is recommended as a convenient and representative tool for pandemic containment.
The disturbing prediction by the Israel-based study comes close on the heels of a statement made by Microsoft founder Bill gates. The billionaire in an interview with Financial Times, asserted that "We're still at risk of this pandemic generating a variant that would be even more transmissive and even more fatal".
Recently, the American business magnate also wrote a book "How to Prevent the Next Pandemic" which talks about lessons learned from the COVID pandemic and how to prevent the next one.
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