The Epidemiological Situation in Armenia is Tense: The Spread of the Delta Variant is the Cause

The epidemiological situation in the Republic of Armenia is now assessed as tense due to the spread of the coronavirus and especially the Delta variant, as there is an increase in COVID-19 cases.

In an interview with Armenpress, Romella Abovyan, the head of the Epidemiology Department of the National Center for Disease Control and Prevention, stated, "Comparing the cases from the last 14 days with the previous 14 days, we see an increase in cases. Yesterday, we recorded a 45% increase in cases, and today's analysis reveals that it is 46%. The reproduction number of the virus is above one—calculated over 14 days, it is 1.1, and over 7 days, it is 1.3. Therefore, in the next seven days, we may register more than 2,900 cases," Abovyan noted, adding that a tense situation is also observed worldwide due to the Delta variant, and Armenia is no exception, as this variant is circulating here as well.

According to her, in contrast to other variants, Delta spreads twice as rapidly, which makes the situation even more concerning. Romella Abovyan mentioned that they cannot say how many cases of Delta have been recorded in Armenia because they are conducting selective research to understand which variant is circulating. "Among all patients, there may be those infected with the Delta variant. We do not sample each patient to determine whether they are infected with Delta or not, and it is not practical to do so," she explained.

Speaking about anti-epidemic measures, the specialist emphasized that wearing masks is particularly effective in the case of the Delta variant and noted that this is also communicated by international organizations and the WHO. "It is possible that there will be an intensification of restrictions to reduce the spread of the virus. Currently, discussions are ongoing about introducing certain restrictions in organizations, and we will provide additional information when everything is clear. The most effective preventive measure at this time is vaccinations," Abovyan concluded.

As of 11:00 AM on August 16 in Armenia, 256 new cases of the coronavirus have been confirmed, 188 citizens have recovered, and 7 have died. A total of 234,814 cases of the coronavirus have been confirmed, of which 222,801 have recovered, and 4,702 have resulted in death. Currently, there are 6,175 patients undergoing treatment for coronavirus.