Delta variant raises concerns about fourth Covid wave, says expert

The Delta variant of the coronavirus is raising concerns about the possibility of a fourth wave of the pandemic in Greece, said the head of the National Vaccination Committee, Maria Theodoridou.

Speaking at a press briefing about developments with the virus, she said that if there is a fourth wave, it will bring less hospitalizations and deaths and will affect “only unvaccinated citizens.”

The variant, first identified in India, is the most contagious yet, overtaking other variants in Britain and spreading fast in the US, Portugal, Germany, France and Spain.

Theodoridou said the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine offers 86 percent protection and the AstraZeneca 66 percent.

By Tuesday, Greece had fully vaccinated 31 percent of its citizens (more than 3 million), while 43 percent have received at least one dose of a Covid jab (more than 4,550,000 citizens).