Eric Feigl-Ding Profile picture
Jun 17, 2021 29 tweets 24 min read Read on X
⚠️Confirmed—#DeltaVariant is by far the *most contagious** variant found to date, with a transmissibility that is ~2x faster than older strain. #P1 is 2nd fastest, says @WHO study.🧵

📍#B117 #Alpha—29% faster

📍#B1351 #Beta—25%

📍#P1 #Gamma—38%

📍#B16172 #Delta—97% #COVID19 Image
2) “Effective reproduction number of SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern/interest compared against each other, 64 countries, data until 3 June 2021”
eurosurveillance.org/content/10.280… Image
3) “Of the six variants currently designated as VOI, five were considered in our analysis and among these, only B.1.617.1 (#Kappa) and B.1.525 #Eta demonstrated a statistically significant increase in the effective reproduction number of 48% and 29%, respectively.” Image
4) To be clear, “faster” transmission of #DeltaVariant means “change in effective reproduction number of SARS-CoV-2 variants relative to non-variants” (from 64 countries through 3 June 2021).

➡️Thus if the original Wuhan 1.0 strain had an R0 of ~3.5, x2 for #Delta—to get 7. 👀
5) Notice how the “other” older strain (non-VOC/VOI) in dark green have all but disappeared from most countries. #B117 #alpha came to the scene during the winter, and #P1 #Gamma dominated Brazil and didn’t let #Alpha take hold.

But in UK, #DeltaVariant has overtaken alpha. Image
6) Also, the other India-origin varian #Kappa #B16171, while not officially a higher-risk-rated VOC, seems to be faster than the VOC’s #Alpha #Beta, and maybe #Gamma. I think #Kappa deserves to be upgraded. It’s found in outbreaks in Australia 🇦🇺 at the moment. Image
7) The new #DeltaVariant faster transmission data is why @WHO declared it a VOC 3 weeks ago in late May. UK 🇬🇧 declared Delta a VOC 2 weeks ago… but US CDC only declared Delta a VOC… 2 days ago.
8) With data of #DeltaVariant like this 2 weeks ago, it was quite obvious #B16172 was poised to be by far the fastest variant found to date.
9) Sorry, I’ve been super annoyed at the slow movement of the CDC to act and warn about the #DeltaVariant. They were relatively quite while rest of the world scrambled to contain the #B16172 variant from India— sometimes warning VOC status 3 weeks is just too late.
10) I’ve been fuming for a while—because CDC should have acted when it saw clear data on #DeltaVariant consistently soar like this across many states. We have lots precious time.
11) #DeltaVariant also is more confusing to identify - it mimics the common cold, and the classic #COVID19 symptom of loss of smell is much more rare! This is a huge change.
12) When I see #DeltaVariant stats like these… I get worried. Granted, many of the double vaccinated are more elderly in the UK, but that doesn’t bode well for elderly protection then.
13) Similar #DeltaVariant worries from a 🇨🇦 hospital— ➡️Outbreak even w/ 2 dose of mRNA vaccines—16 patients & 6 HCWS #DeltaVariant positive. 6/16 patients & 5/6 HCWs had received 2 doses of #COVID19 vaccine. A 2x vaccinated 80-year old also died. cbc.ca/amp/1.6063802
14) Here is a BEST EXPLAINER video on #DeltaVariant. Part 1 of 3.

➡️ 1 dose isn’t enough.

by @IndependentSage @VickiGSP.
15) again, @IndependentSage also emphasizes that people who are either elderly or have morbidity may be even more susceptible to #DeltaVariant - even if vaccinated.

Video part 2 of 3 by @VickiGSP

16) We don’t want lockdown type restrictions. So the way to avoid that is with faster actions.
17) the main problem with #DeltaVariant is that the 1 dose strategy isn’t good anymore. 1 dose vaccine efficacy is likely just ~33% or so with either AstraZeneca or Pfizer. That is trouble for millions that aren’t two dose vaccinated yet.
18) back to the age issue, notice how virus neutralization drops with age. Problem with #DeltaVariant (right) and vaccine is that among young adults, they start at lower vaccine neutralization level than even an elderly person with original strain!
19) Now the crisis—Let this sink in—over 100 US counties right now have <20% of local population vaccinated. That is a “time bomb waiting to happen” says Dr @mtosterholm.

This will not end well low vaccinations area of the US & around world. #COVID19

20) And now @WHO_Europe chief says #Delta is soon going to take over Europe as well. Most countries in Europe are not acting quickly or at all. This is Germany right now… #DeltaVariant (brown) is soaring. #P1 Gamma is tagging along and rising too. Image
21) MORE SEVERE—UK scientists found #DeltaVariant to have 2.4-2.6x higher risk of hospitalization than B117 #AlphaVariant. But Alpha is 64% higher risk than original for hospitalization. So 1.6*2.5= 4.1x. That’s why Delta likely has 4x higher hospitalization risk than original ⚠️
22) Bottomline: #DeltaVariant is the most contagious fastest spreading variant to date. It’s more severe, and while 2 dose efficacy is good, Delta has 1 dose vaccine evasion—that is the “problem” as Dr Fauci put it. And most folks aren’t 2 dose vaccinated.
23) Regarding J&J, I have no direct evidence-based position. However… it’s not technically a 2-dose vaccine. if you’re interested what some immunologists think… read thread 🧵 below… but the CDC needs to put out guidance on this soon. Very soon.
24) Damnit we should have acted faster against #DeltaVariant. Now the world is going to pay a heavy heavy price.
25) In case anyone had any doubt how utterly dominant #DeltaVariant is— it just hit 99% of all #COVID19 cases in the UK. The US is where UK was in late April / early May.
26) please sign the petition to CDC for urgent #DeltaVariant action. It is by @endCOVID19 & @CovidActionGrp and a “coalition of scientists, public health officials, epidemiologists, health care workers, educators, advocates, parents, & concerned citizens:
change.org/p/centers-for-…
27) folks— we seriously need to act, and act damn fast. #DeltaVariant is going to be a serious scourge for many countries around the world soon, not just for India and UK. US is on the tipping point… see thread 🧵 below.
28) Siri, define “#DeltaVariant is fast spreading”….

➡️ Delta variant can infect people in mere seconds via fleeting contact.

Siri, does this fleeting exposure infection happened often?

➡️ it happened twice in one outbreak. Video camera evidence included. See thread 🧵
29) we must also be vigilant about #DeltaVariant and school children. Kids can transmit very efficiently. And kids can get #LongCovid too - 1 in 12 in fact.

• • •

Missing some Tweet in this thread? You can try to force a refresh
 

Keep Current with Eric Feigl-Ding

Eric Feigl-Ding Profile picture

Stay in touch and get notified when new unrolls are available from this author!

Read all threads

This Thread may be Removed Anytime!

PDF

Twitter may remove this content at anytime! Save it as PDF for later use!

Try unrolling a thread yourself!

how to unroll video
  1. Follow @ThreadReaderApp to mention us!

  2. From a Twitter thread mention us with a keyword "unroll"
@threadreaderapp unroll

Practice here first or read more on our help page!

More from @DrEricDing

Jan 21
Dear Hispanic-Americans who voted for Trump…
3) Dear Congress- don’t let a dictator usurp you…
Read 5 tweets
Nov 13, 2024
⚠️BREAKING—ICU Hospitalized human bird flu case in Canada now officially confirmed as H5N1. Worse, it is the same 2.3.4.4b virus clade (variant group) as the one found in BC🇨🇦 poultry and in Washington state🇺🇸! The hospitalized teenager (with no pre existing conditions) had no animal contact, does not live on farm, had “deterioration quite rapid” and now critical in ICU with ARDS. Canada officials says infectious period is 2 days **prior to symptoms** (ie asymptomatic transmission) and infectious up to 10 days.Image
2) Public Health Agency of Canada's National Microbiology Laboratory (NML) in Winnipeg confirmed that the individual has avian influenza H5N1
canada.ca/en/public-heal…
3) details…

⚠️BAD UPDATE—BIRD FLU HOSPITALIZATION IN CANADIAN TEEN

Summary 🧵 of the live press conference with Canada’s British Columbia health officer.

📌The teen is in intensive care.
📌Condition is ARDS
📌Teen was healthy prior; no underlying conditions

bsky.app/profile/dreric…
Read 4 tweets
Nov 13, 2024
Trump’s incoming SECRETARY OF DEFENSE who doesn’t wash his hands and doesn’t believe in germs. Image
2) Trump’s new SECDEF is also in favor of committing war crimes. businessinsider.com/pete-hegseth-a…
3) Trump’s SECDEF pick is a wild character. And loves hawking merch.
Read 4 tweets
Nov 9, 2024
My god—Google Search for “what is a tariff” sudden spikes the DAY AFTER ELECTION DAY. 🤦🏻‍♂️ Image
2) many folks simply don’t understand what a tariff is — unless you explain it several times to them with analogies. Even then, it’s hard for many to grasp. Eg 👇
3) Ah shit… it’s now gotten worse. Why do so many people do their hw late??,
Read 6 tweets
Nov 6, 2024
📍HARRIS IS STILL AHEAD IN PA—in terms of votes yet to be counted. She’s still +2 of what is needed to win PA, given the outstanding votes still remaining in PA cities, according to @CBSNews @NorahODonnell Image
Image
Image
Harris has enough remaining in PA Philly suburbs to still win. Image
3) folks. The NYT needle is not reliable.
Read 5 tweets
Oct 31, 2024
Plastic cookware should not be used. Period. Especially BLACK PLASTIC cookware, that often mixes in toxic recycled electronic waste materials. DISPOSE OF ALL PLASTIC COOKWARE, especially if black colored plastic ones. Pass it on to your family.

Gift🎁🔗
theatlantic.com/health/archive…Image
2) Because optical sensors in recycling facilities can’t detect them, black-colored plastics are largely rejected from domestic-waste streams, resulting in a shortage of black base material for recycled plastic. So the demand for black plastic appears to be met “in no insignificant part” via recycled e-waste, according to Turner’s research. TV and computer casings, like the majority of the world’s plastic waste, tend to be recycled in informal waste economies with few regulations and end up remolded into consumer products, including ones, such as spatulas and slotted spoons, that come into contact with food.
3) You simply do not want flame retardants anywhere near your stir-fry. Flame retardants are typically not bound to the polymers to which they are added, making them a particular flight risk: They dislodge easily and make their way into the surrounding environment. And, indeed, another paper from 2018 found that flame retardants in black kitchen utensils readily migrate into hot cooking oil. The health concerns associated with those chemicals are well established: Some flame retardants are endocrine disruptors, which can interfere with the body’s hormonal system, and scientific literature suggests that they may be associated with a range of ailments, including thyroid disease, diabetes, and cancer. People with the highest blood levels of PBDEs, a class of flame retardants found in black plastic, had about a 300 percent increase in their risk of dying from cancer compared with people who had the lowest levels, according to a study released this year. In a separate study, published in a peer-reviewed journal this month, researchers from the advocacy group Toxic-Free Future and from Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam found that, out of all of the consumer products they tested, kitchen utensils had some of the highest levels of flame retardants.
Read 4 tweets

Did Thread Reader help you today?

Support us! We are indie developers!


This site is made by just two indie developers on a laptop doing marketing, support and development! Read more about the story.

Become a Premium Member ($3/month or $30/year) and get exclusive features!

Become Premium

Don't want to be a Premium member but still want to support us?

Make a small donation by buying us coffee ($5) or help with server cost ($10)

Donate via Paypal

Or Donate anonymously using crypto!

Ethereum

0xfe58350B80634f60Fa6Dc149a72b4DFbc17D341E copy

Bitcoin

3ATGMxNzCUFzxpMCHL5sWSt4DVtS8UqXpi copy

Thank you for your support!

Follow Us!

:(