A British study founds that people who get COVID-19 from Delta variant are twice likely to go to hospital compared with Alpha variant.
The study mainly focused on unvaccinated or partially vaccinated people has found.
The analysis underscores Delta’s ability to put people in hospital once infected, especially those who have not been vaccinated.
According to the findings, only 1.8% of the 43,000 COVID-19 cases assessed in comparing the two variants were in patients who completed their vaccination.
About one in 50 patients were in hospital within 14 days of their first positive Covid test. 2.2% of Alpha cases vs 2.3% of Delta cases, the study found.
However, the researchers found the risk of going to hospital was higher with the Delta variant in comparison with the Alpha variant.
“This study confirms previous findings. People infected with Delta are significantly more likely to require hospitalisation than those with Alpha, said Dr Gavin Dabrera, one of the study’s lead authors.
“We already know that vaccination offers excellent protection against Delta. This variant accounts for more than 98% of Covid-19 cases in the UK. It is vital that those who have not received two doses of vaccine do so as soon as possible.”
Delta Variant Risks
The Delta variant is far more infectious than the previously dominant Alpha variant.
The variant is more transmissible than others and was first identified in India. But it has spread rapidly in the UK.
However, Portugal was the first European Union nation to announce that the Delta variant was now dominant on its territory.
According to the WHO, it is “well on its way” to accounting for a majority of worldwide cases of Covid-19.
