COVID-19 vaccines update 11 - delta variant deaths

This video looks at the published report from Public Health England on the situation concerning the SARS-CoV-2 virus variants. Specifically, the impact on the vaccinated population by the delta variant. This video is bit different in our vaccine series; here the population data from the UK is analyzed - which is not vaccinated with mRNA vaccines, but on account of the UK’s superb genetic sequencing tracking of variants, the data allows very detailed study of SARS-CoV-2 virus epidemiology. Deaths of vaccinated versus unvaccinated as seen in the report are discussed: first time observation of vaccinated population being impacted more than unvaccinated. How the variant’s evolution gets tracked is discussed in detail, as well as the looming possibility that such evolution if left unchecked could lead to the immune escape of a variant that could allow future variants to bypass the current beneficial effects of vaccines. And how to protect these hard-earned benefits.

NB** Sorry for the mistake at the end of the video by calling the B.1.621 emerging variant Lambda instead of Mu. Thanks for helping with catching these!

Thank you to an awesome special volunteer putting this video synopsis together!
0:00 Intro REPORT: SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern and variants under investigation in England
0:49 Are vaccinated dying greater number and greater rate than unvaccinated?
1:25 PART 1 - Surveillance overview: Section 1.1 variants under surveillance
3:02 Lambda variant - Stay tuned near the end of video to learn how UK using genetic technologies to keep track of this new scary variant (or skip to the end)
3:40 FIGURE 1 - Coverage of sequencing and genotyping over time Oct2020-August2021
6:25 Delta and variants continually being sequenced
6:42 Maintaining the frequency of samples during entire pandemic is smart…
6:58 …because any danger from emerging variants arriving will be caught
14:08 TABLE 5 - Delta Cases in England by vaccination status
16:24 Deaths from Delta explained by demographic
17:00 More people over 50 fully vaccinated have died than unvaccinated
17:45 Break down of deaths by percentage
20:00 Why vaccines that fail to stop Delta are possible threat (new variants from immune escape)
21:01 Over 50 has higher Delta survival in vaccinated than unvaxxed
21:20 But under 50 years Delta death very small
22:20 Delta vs Lambda
23:21 FIGURE 6 - Variant prevalence of available sequenced cases in England
24:30 Incredibly advanced data collection of variants being sequenced!!!
25:45 Delta takes over
26:00 FIGURE 8 - Variant prevalence by geographical region of England
27:05 SECTION 1.5
27:12 Tracking antigenic change or immune escape
27:55 TABLE 6 - Detailed tracking of spike mutations in Delta genetics changes down to specific amino acids
28:40 UK data for one nation is tracking more sequencing and genotyping than rest of world
30:00 FIGURE 9 - New mutations and their dominance. Selective pressure graphic. Antigenic mutations.
32:20 Vaccines and surges in recorded mutations/different variants
32:50 Explanation of how vaccines put pressure on virus and drives immune escape!!!
35:40 SECTION 1.6: Secondary attack rates
36:55 Table 7 - Who is spreading the disease (by variant) Travel/Households/Outside of Household
38:29 SECTION 1.7: Vaccinations
38:40 How infectious are vaccinated vs unvaccinated
39:10 FIGURE 12 - Ct values for vaccinated vs. unvaccinated by variant
41:50 Vaccinated or unvaccinated both equally infectious according to Ct values?
42:10 The case for increased vigilance if you have Delta (quarantine and other measures)
42:29 PART 2: Surveillance of individual variants HOW they track the variant
43:15 B.1.621 variant tracking (mistakenly called Lambda - actually future Mu variant)
43:40 Explains how tracked and criterion and epidemiological tree, where lambda strain occurring internationally
45:35 Concluding remarks

Discussed content:
https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1009243/Technical_Briefing_20.pdf