Study confirms: a well-protected vaccine against Delta

Fact: Deltavarianten

The delta variant of covid-19 was discovered in India at the end of 2020. The virus was initially known as the “Indian variant”, but according to the World Health Organization (WHO), this may be a stigma, which is why the organization has developed names based on the alphabet. Greek. Other variants are alpha (British), beta (South African), and gamma (Brazilian).

Since the discovery of deltavirus, subgroups have also been observed, but only one of them (B.1.617.2) has been classified as a virus of particular interest that can cause further infection.

According to the European Union’s infection control authority ECDC, the delta variant is more contagious than other virus variants. This could be an increase in infection of between 43 and 90 percent.

A British study showed that children and young adults (aged between 5 and 24 years old) have a five times higher rate of infection with the virus than people over 65 years old. People under the age of 50 have a 2.5 times greater risk of infection than those over the age of 65.

According to a Scottish study published in The Lancet in mid-June, the delta variant gives twice the risk of needing hospital care compared to the alpha variant. People with underlying disease also have a higher risk of hospitalization as a result of the delta variant.

Fully vaccinated subjects, with two doses of the vaccine, are expected to be well protected against the delta variant.

However, a British study showed that the Astra Zeneca vaccine and the Pfizer/Biontech vaccine only had a limited effect after the first dose. Pfizer’s ability to neutralize the delta variant decreased significantly between four and ten weeks after the first dose. After ten weeks, the effect is almost gone. It is therefore very important to take the second dose in the shortest amount of time possible.

According to a study, the immunity of people infected with the original virus from Wuhan is almost three times less effective against the delta variant.