The real number of confirmed coronavirus (COVID-19) Delta variant infections in Lebanon is higher than what official figures indicate, an expert revealed on Monday.
During an interview with the Voice of Lebanon radio station, Firass Abiad, Rafik Hariri University Hospital Manager, stressed that an effort must be made to mitigate the spread of the Delta variant that recently entered Lebanon.
“The real number of Delta infections is much greater than the announced numbers,” Abiad declared.
“This variant is more communicable and contagious, there should be no leniency on people’s part, and the need for vaccination is greater,” he added.
Lebanon had registered its first few cases of the Delta variant late last week among travelers coming from the UAE, Ethiopia, Iraq, and Saudi Arabia.
Since then, the number of infections has soared, with the latest official data pointing to at least 100 Delta cases.
The highly contagious – and possibly more severe – Delta COVID-19 virus strain was first detected in India in December 2020 and has since rapidly spread throughout the world, causing a surge in COVID-19 infections and deaths in multiple countries.
Almost 100 countries have confirmed Delta variant infections so far.
Vaccination against COVID-19 can greatly reduce the variant’s impact. However, as Abiad pointed out, no more than 12% of the population has received both doses of the vaccine so far.
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