'Delta and Mu variants need to be monitored closely'

Photo: Anna Shvets / Pexels

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The Turkish Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (KLİMİK) held a symposium on the Covid-19 pandemic today (September 10).

Speaking at the event, KLİMİK Chair Prof. Alpay Azad said that there is "light at the end of the tunnel" but the awareness is low as the public gets used to the pandemic.

"Therefore, case numbers are very similar compared to last year despite vaccination. This is not due to the ineffectiveness of vaccines. This is due to the fact that the measures are too relaxed and that people do not comply with individual measures.

"In fact, there is really light at the end of the tunnel. If a vaccine-escaping variant does not emerge, the period of the pandemic may end in six to nine months —we think it is realistic, even if it is an optimistic estimate— and the disease will continue to circulate among people as an endemic disease just like the flu."

Mandatory PCR tests

Prof. Serap Şimşek-Yavuz, the secretary-general of KLİMİK and a member of the Ministry's of Health Scientific Advisory Board, said, "I know the test requirement got a backlash. We support it to the fullest. We also recommend mandatory vaccination. If you do social work, we think that there needs to be mandatory vaccination, like for health workers and teachers."

As of Monday (September 6), the government mandated negative PCR tests for those who are not fully vaccinated for intercity travels and attending crowded events such as concerts and films.

Teachers and other school employees have to be either fully vaccinated or submit negative test results twice a week. Private businesses are allowed to impose the same conditions on their employees.

Delta and Mu variants

Speaking to the state-run Anadolu Agency (AA) after the symposium, Şimşek-Yavuz said that the Delta and Mu variants of coronavirus need to be monitored carefully.

"Delta is the most skillful we've seen so far. It can spread very quickly compared to others. That's its greatest skill. Therefore, it has become the most dominant variant in the world. The skill of a variant is primarily measured by how far it can spread. Of course, being able to evade the vaccine is also a special skill.

"Mu has not shown the skill of spreading in the countries, which the Delta has shown. However, it's not a variant that is not to be ignored as well.

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(AS/VK)