Delta Variant Fuels Surge in COVID-19 Cases Across Morocco

"The high incidence of the infection rate is a normal phenomenon during this period, given the entry of new virus mutations in Morocco, particularly the Delta variant. [...] By following the epidemiological situation in Morocco, we can say that 40% of the causes are related to the relaxation in compliance with precautionary measures, and 60% are related to the rapid spread of the Delta variant," explains TelQuel under anonymity a member of the national scientific and technical committee responsible for monitoring the Covid-19 pandemic.

The specialist mentioned a problem facing the laboratories working on virus detection. It is the lack of the necessary means to study the spread of variants. "Our laboratories cannot detect more than 5 genomes, unlike British or Chinese laboratories for example which can identify 3000 to 5000 genomes in a single analysis process," he said, insisting that "the Delta variant is experiencing an outbreak in Morocco".

According to this member of the national scientific and technical committee, "there is a difference in symptoms between the original strain of Covid and the Delta variant". "The first case does not cause a runny nose and it is a dry cough, but the second is completely similar to the symptoms of the seasonal flu. When people are infected, especially vaccinated people, they think they are not. They recover after 3 or 4 days, but after having transmitted the virus," he explains.