Dr. Noorali Bharwani

When we are in a crisis situation our thinking tends to go in high gear. We tend to become innovative and look for growth opportunities. We recognise our strengths and weaknesses. We try to find solutions in a hurry. Look at COVID-19 pandemic. It has changed how we think and it has changed the future of health care.

Now that we seem to be getting control of COVID-19, the virus is trying to outsmart us.

When first cases of the SARS-CoV-2 Delta variant were detected in the United Kingdom in mid-April, the nation was getting ready to open up. This had to be delayed. The fear of Delta variant virus has spread all over the world.

These variants seem to spread more easily and quickly than other variants, which may lead to more cases of COVID-19. These variants may be associated with different symptoms. An increase in the number of cases will put more strain on healthcare resources, lead to more hospitalizations, and potentially more deaths.

According to Alberta Health Care website, anyone who has been infected with a variant strain will test positive for COVID-19. Positive tests are screened again for all variants to determine the exact strain. To date, four variants of concern have been identified in Alberta.

B.1.1.7 (Alpha): This variant was first detected in the United States in December 2020. It was initially detected in the United Kingdom. It’s estimated to be around 50 percent more transmissible than the version of the pandemic coronavirus. According to fresh data, two variants now threaten Alpha’s reign: Delta and Gamma. Delta is considered the most concerning variant seen yet.

B.1.351 (Beta): This variant was first detected in the United States at the end of January 2021. It was initially detected in South Africa in December 2020.

P.1 (Gamma): This variant was first detected in the United States in January 2021. P.1 was initially identified in travellers from Brazil, who were tested during routine screening at an airport in Japan, in early January.

B.1.617.2 (Delta): This variant was first detected in the United States in March 2021. It was initially identified in India in December 2020.

There are several reasons why Delta variant is highly dangerous. Mutations in the Delta variant make it replicate faster and evade the body’s immune mechanism. According to WHO, it is the fastest and fittest variant yet. The Delta variant is 50 – 60 per cent more transmissible than Alpha variant which was 50 – 60 per cent more transmissable than the original strain of COVID-19.

One vaccine dose is not enough to protect you. Two doses of vaccine are strongly protective. Two weeks after receiving a second dose, the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine appeared to provide 79 per cent protection against infection with the Delta variant, compared with 92 per cent protection against the Alpha variant.

Scientists are debating whether we should take a booster dose against Delta variant. This is currently unknown. So far, studies suggest that the current authorized vaccines work on the circulating variants.

The Pfizer, Moderna and AstraZeneca vaccines currently available in Alberta offer protection against infection and may offer protection against severe outcomes with variants. However, the level of protection may vary depending on the variant and the number of doses received.

Viruses constantly change through mutation, and new variants of a virus are expected to occur. Do not lower your guard. Be vigilant. Get vaccinated. Wear a mask. Maintain social distancing and wash your hands frequently.

Take care. It is not over until it is over!

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Alberta Medical Association (AMA), as part of advocacy and engagement with the public has a website (albertapatients.ca) which is Canada’s largest online community for patients to share their thoughts.

AMA engages in dialogue with approximately 13,500 Albertans about health care issues. AMA’s latest survey, fielded May 19 to 27, 2021 asked about people’s worries and priorities regarding their health care. AMA received more than 4,700 responses.

AMA recently shared their findings with the members of the association. AMA says, “The results are sobering: lifestyle and livelihoods (for many) have shifted dramatically, contributing to a significant decline in physical and mental health.”

Here are the important points:

• More than half of respondents (52 per cent) report that their physical health has declined since the start of the pandemic (15 per cent say their health is now much worse). This is up eight per cent since November 2020 and tends to be more prominent in those under the age of 54 years, and those who have a chronic medical condition. The top reasons cited for the decline in physical health are: harder to exercise, fear of going to a health care provider, and not socializing.
• The impact COVID-19 has had on the mental health of Albertans is troubling. Sixty-four per cent of respondents report a decline in their own mental health since the start of the pandemic.
• Twenty-three per cent say their mental health is much worse now. This is more common response among women than men, those under the age of 55, and those with a chronic medical condition.
• Forty-seven per cent struggle with social isolation, while others cite concerns about finances and the security of their jobs, along with concerns for their own or their family’s health.
• Only seven per cent of respondents say their mental health has improved since the pandemic began.
• There is anxiety and depression due to care deficit on individuals who are waiting for treatment. Especially patients who are waiting for cancer surgery, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy.

The deterioration in mental and physical wellness that Albertans are reporting may be a prelude of what is to come. With significant financial deficit the government will have to find more money to play catch-up. As COVID-19 retreats, there will be no automatic reset to what was before the pandemic.

An article in the Canadian Medical Association Journal (CMAJ June 7, 2021 – Postpartum mental illness during the COVID-19 pandemic) highlights the difficulties faced by women after child birth. In Ontario, visits for mental health conditions in the postpartum period increased markedly from March 2020.

The authors of the article observed increased use of nonacute care services for postpartum mental health in Ontario during the first few months of the pandemic, suggesting that self-reported mental distress has translated into increased help-seeking for postpartum people.

The authors of the article suggest health systems should focus proactively on patients from high-risk groups, monitor waiting lists for care, and explore creative solutions to expand system capacity, with special attention to postpartum patients who may be experiencing barriers to care. With the extensive use of virtual care, further evidence regarding the safety and effectiveness of virtual treatment for postpartum mental illness should be sought.

As we can see the health care delivery has changed dramatically in the last year and a half. I doubt whether things will return to the old ways. Doctors will have to find creative ways to assess and treat patients.

Take care. Be safe. Don’t take unnecessary chances. The highly contagious Delta COVID-19 is likely to become dominant in Alberta. So, we have to be careful.

Start reading the preview of my book A Doctor's Journey for free on Amazon. Available on Kindle for $2.99!