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NEW DELHI: The Delta variant is the fastest, most suitable, and most formidable version of the coronavirus that causes Covid-19 that the world has encountered, and it upsets assumptions about the disease even as nations relax restrictions and open their savings, according to virologists and epidemiologists.
Vaccine protection remains very strong against serious infections and hospitalizations caused by any version of the virus, and those most at risk are still the unvaccinated, according to leading Covid-19 experts.
The main concern about the Delta variant is not that it makes people sicker, but that it spreads much more easily from person to person, increasing infections and hospitalizations among the unvaccinated. . Evidence is also mounting that it is capable of infecting fully vaccinated people at a higher rate than previous versions, and concerns have been expressed that they could even spread the virus, these experts said. .
“The biggest risk to the world right now is just Delta,” said microbiologist Sharon Peacock. Until there is more data on its transmission, experts say masks, social distancing and other measures put aside in countries with large vaccination campaigns may again be needed.
Public Health England said that among people hospitalized in Britain with the Delta variant, 58.3% were not vaccinated and 22.8% were fully vaccinated. In Singapore, where Delta is the most common variant, 75% of its cases have been in people who have been vaccinated. Israeli officials said 60% of current hospitalized cases were in people who had been vaccinated. In the United States, the Delta variant accounts for about 83% of new infections. So far, unvaccinated people account for almost 97% of severe cases.
The Pfizer vaccine, one of the most effective against Covid-19 to date, only appeared to be 41% effective in stopping symptomatic infections in Israel over the past month as the Delta variant spread.
A study in China found that people infected with the Delta variant carry 1,000 times more virus in their noses than the ancestral Wuhan strain. “You can actually shed more virus and that’s why it’s more transmissible. It’s still under investigation,” Peacock said.
“It outperforms all other viruses because it spreads so much more efficiently,” said virologist Shane Crotty.
Genomics expert Eric Topol noted that Delta infections have a shorter incubation period and a much higher amount of viral particles. “This is why vaccines will be called into question. People who have been vaccinated should be especially careful. It’s a difficult question, ”Topol said.
Vaccine protection remains very strong against serious infections and hospitalizations caused by any version of the virus, and those most at risk are still the unvaccinated, according to leading Covid-19 experts.
The main concern about the Delta variant is not that it makes people sicker, but that it spreads much more easily from person to person, increasing infections and hospitalizations among the unvaccinated. . Evidence is also mounting that it is capable of infecting fully vaccinated people at a higher rate than previous versions, and concerns have been expressed that they could even spread the virus, these experts said. .
“The biggest risk to the world right now is just Delta,” said microbiologist Sharon Peacock. Until there is more data on its transmission, experts say masks, social distancing and other measures put aside in countries with large vaccination campaigns may again be needed.
Public Health England said that among people hospitalized in Britain with the Delta variant, 58.3% were not vaccinated and 22.8% were fully vaccinated. In Singapore, where Delta is the most common variant, 75% of its cases have been in people who have been vaccinated. Israeli officials said 60% of current hospitalized cases were in people who had been vaccinated. In the United States, the Delta variant accounts for about 83% of new infections. So far, unvaccinated people account for almost 97% of severe cases.
The Pfizer vaccine, one of the most effective against Covid-19 to date, only appeared to be 41% effective in stopping symptomatic infections in Israel over the past month as the Delta variant spread.
A study in China found that people infected with the Delta variant carry 1,000 times more virus in their noses than the ancestral Wuhan strain. “You can actually shed more virus and that’s why it’s more transmissible. It’s still under investigation,” Peacock said.
“It outperforms all other viruses because it spreads so much more efficiently,” said virologist Shane Crotty.
Genomics expert Eric Topol noted that Delta infections have a shorter incubation period and a much higher amount of viral particles. “This is why vaccines will be called into question. People who have been vaccinated should be especially careful. It’s a difficult question, ”Topol said.
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