Thread by @DrEricDing

⚠️“5-10 seconds” is all one needs to transmit the #DeltaVariant, warns Queensland 🇦🇺 health officer, that it **no longer takes up o 15 minutes** to pass on #COVID19. It can be a "fleeting moment" of seconds. It indeed happened *thrice* at shopping mall.🧵
abc.net.au/news/2021-06-2…

2) Experts say the Delta variant appears to be more transmissible across all age groups, including children.
It is spread so easily that a person in Sydney infected stranger simply by walking past them.
abc.net.au/news/2021-06-2…

3) NSW Chief Health Officer described the Bondi Junction incident as a "scarily fleeting" encounter.
"They are clearly facing each other but it is literally someone moving across from each other for a moment, close, but momentary," Dr Chant said.

4) Dr Chant suspects two other people were infected in the same fashion. 
"We haven't been able to look at the exact same crossover point, but we know they were 20 metres [apart], signing in at different venues at the same time or in that area, so we suspect they did cross over”

5) “The speed and ease with which the Delta variant spreads has prompted states and territories to act quickly to shut travellers from affected areas out.
Queensland's Chief Health Officer Jeannette Young has warned we are seeing "very fleeting contact" in some cases.

6) "If you remember at the start of this pandemic, I spoke about 15 minutes of close contact being a concern," she said.
"Now, it looks like it's five to 10 seconds.
"That's a concern.
"The risk is so much higher now than it was only a year ago."

7) This “fleeting” exposure infection has been widely discussed in Australia 🇦🇺 recently. And studied in quite detail. There is both security camera footage as well as genomic testing to match the variant precisely to determine a match between the two people. See thread 🧵

https://twitter.com/drericding/status/1406779894785351688

8) And yes, there has been multiple people infected like this fleeting exposure in Sydney.

https://twitter.com/DrEricDing/status/1406784126842245121

9) “They just passed each other in the department store” … “no contact at all” according to the CCTV security footage.

https://twitter.com/drericding/status/1406786465531584512

10) I’m now confident enough to say that the #DeltaVariant is now the greatest threat of #COVID19 to date in 2021. It is by far the fastest variant known to date. The data complied from 64 countries by @WHO don’t lie. #B16172 is a clear and present danger to the world. Act fast.

https://twitter.com/drericding/status/1405633531695489027

11) People need to realize just how airborne this coronavirus is. It’s literally in the air you breathe. theguardian.com/australia-news…

12) WHO declared #DeltaVariant a high risk “variant of concern” in May. Yet CDC didn’t act to declare Delta a VOC over a month later on June 15th! We knew it was dangerous yet we missed many opportunities to act fast.

https://twitter.com/drericding/status/1404847230205505550

13) #DeltaVariant is a triple threat in being more transmissible, more severe, and weaker protection via vaccines, especially 1 dose. See thread 🧵 below. Watch the videos… 3 parts:

https://twitter.com/drericding/status/1403132149243461635

14) #DeltaVariant is absolutely soaring in countries worldwide. But even in highly vaccinated countries like the Us and UK and Israel. In US, it has soared to 20-30% of all cases in just one week. It’s sweeping the world—anyone not double vaccinated is extremely vulnerable.

https://twitter.com/drericding/status/1407702213363916801

15) #DeltaVariant is spreading worldwide. Vaccination is key — but only if 2 full doses.
We have exactly 1 month window for most countries to rapidly respond and 2x vaccinate before it’s too late.

https://twitter.com/drericding/status/1406681179219189760