Fearsome COVID-19 Delta First Reported in India Is More Transmissible Than UK Variant

The COVID-19 Deltra variant that was first reported in India reported being 40-50% more transmissible than earlier variants from the UK highlights the immediate need for global vaccination and herd immunity.

The Delta variant or B.1.617.2 variant has been reported in at least 60 countries, including the UK and the US. According to the Wall Street Journal, British scientists estimate that the variant is up to 50% more transmissible than the original Alpha variant that quickly swept through the globe in the previous year.

Sharon Peacock, the executive director and chair of the COVID-19 Genomics UK Consortium, said in WSJ's Tech Health Event that with the variants level of transmissibility, experts anticipate its spread around the globe.

COVID-19 Delta Variant Spread

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Reports of the Delta variant in the UK quickly displacing the Alpha variant have health officials believe that the new variant is heavily contributing to the recent uptick in COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations in the UK.

Previously, roughly 98% of cases were due to the COVID-19 Alpha variant, but recently due to the Delta variant, March numbers show that 75% of cases constitute the new variant. This is according to reports by Dr. Peacock and the COVID-19 Genomics UK that is in charge of collecting, sequencing, and analyzing genomes from COVID-19 tests in the country in an effort to guide the pandemic response.

Dr. Peacock explains that a major shift can be seen in terms of the cause of infection in the country, which is occurring at a relatively faster pace over the past few weeks.

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Delta Variant Across the Globe

The Delta variant has also dominated cases in the Democratic Republic of Congo, according to the director of Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, John Nkengasong. Nkengasong says that the risks posed by the new variant are significantly higher, especially with the continuing emergence of the new variant. The dangers highlight a need to strengthen genomic sequencing of COVID-19 variants across the globe.

Dr. Anthony Fauci, the top infectious disease physician in the US, says that currently, the Delta variant only accounts for 6% of sequenced COVID genomes in the US. With the Alpha variant remaining to be the dominant strain in the country, that provides a silver lining.

When asked regarding the Delta variant situation in the UK, Dr. Fauci exclaims that the same must not occur in the US. During a White House briefing, Dr. Fauci urges more and more people to get their COVID-19 vaccine doses and for people to complete their two-dose requirements.

The Delta variant has also been linked to increased risks of severe COVID-19 diseases, hospitalization, and morbidity, according to health experts; however, the relationship isn't certain for now.

As a sliver of hope, vaccines currently available are reported to be effective against the Delta variant. However, the vaccines are seen as somewhat less effective, especially for people who have only had their first dose.