Variants of SARS-CoV-2

A 90-year-old woman who died after falling ill with COVID-19 was infected with both the Alpha and Beta variants of the coronavirus at the same time, researchers in Belgium said on July 11, adding that the rare phenomenon may be underestimated.

It is possible to catch two Covid variants at the same time, experts are warning after seeing a double infection in a 90-year-old woman who became sick with the Alpha and Beta types first identified in the UK and South Africa.

The woman, who died in March 2021 in Belgium, had not been vaccinated.

Her doctors suspect she contracted the infections from two different people.

The benefits of children attending school outweigh the risk of contracting and spreading COVID-19, although cases in children are set to soar in the autumn, said a new report from the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), published on Thursday (8 July).

Germany is easing strict restrictions on travel from Britain, Portugal and some other countries that were imposed because of the rise of the more contagious delta virus variant.

By Panagiotis Arkoumaneas*

Greece is welcoming July with the best epidemiological statistics of the last months.

There is a substantial decline in the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases, of intubated patients, of hospital admissions, and of deaths.

This decline did not occur by chance. It is the product of our collective, strenuous, and coordinated effort and care.

The Delta variant of coronavirus is driving the pandemic forward in Africa at record speeds, the World Health Organization (WHO) warned on July 1. 

Infection numbers have increased in Africa for six weeks running, rising by a quarter week-on-week to almost 202,000 in the week that ended Sunday, it said.

Expressing faith in the country's COVID-19 vaccination rate, Israel's new government led by Prime Minister Naftali Bennett has declined to impose new restrictions, even as the Delta variant is leading to a resurgence of infections here.

Europe has sounded the alarm for the coronavirus Delta mutation, which appears to have become a summer threat, raising additional concerns among tourism and travel professionals.

Having first hit India and neighboring countries hard, now the new mutation is beginning to spread to Europe.

Ljubljana – Slovenia reported 43 new coronavirus cases for Wednesday in what continues to be a significant decrease on all levels. No Covid-19 patients died, the seven-day average of new daily cases fell to 54 and the 14-day incidence per 100,000 residents dropped to 49, according to fresh official data.

The Greek Health Ministry and the Civil Protection bureau issued a COVID-19 orange alert (moderate risk) today after the appearance and expected spread of the more transmissible Delta variant, which was isolated in India, especially on the island of Crete, which has the most confirmed cases.