Beta, Delta variants behind most COVID cases in UAE

Beta and Delta variants account for the bulk of COVID-19 infections in the UAE.

The figures were revealed during the latest government media briefing on Sunday.

Dr. Farida Al Hosani, the UAE health sector's spokesperson said the most common strain found in the UAE is Beta (39.2%), followed by Delta (33.9%) and Alpha (11.3%).

She added that the number of deaths in the country had increased recently due to the spread of new variants, lack of commitment to preventive measures, and reluctance to get vaccinated.

Unvaccinated individuals accounted for 94 per cent of the deaths.

Health Sector: Through national monitoring systems, we noticed that the most common strains in #UAE are now Alpha, Beta and Delta, new variants observed in many countries worldwide. This calls on us to act and get vaccinated.#TogetherWeRecover pic.twitter.com/oc9V6ainvv

— NCEMA UAE (@NCEMAUAE) June 27, 2021

Seventy-one per cent of the UAE's total population has been vaccinated against COVID-19 so far, with the figure representing 91.8 per cent of the eligible groups.

Dr. Al Hosani explained that of those people infected with COVID-19, unvaccinated individuals stood at 84 per cent, while those who are vaccinated make up only 16 per cent.

Of the COVID cases requiring hospitalisation, 89 per cent are those who have not been vaccinated.

Non-vaccinated people also account for 92 per cent of cases admitted to intensive care.

Health Sector: The rates of individuals admitted to the intensive care unit, were 92% unvaccinated individuals, and 8% vaccinated individuals.#TogetherWeRecover

— NCEMA UAE (@NCEMAUAE) June 27, 2021

During the briefing, Dr. Al Hosani advised people who haven’t taken two doses of the vaccine to avoid travelling due to a higher risk of them contracting the virus.

She also urged travellers to avoid crowded places, wear masks and maintain physical distancing, irrespective of the protocols being applied in those countries.