Coronavirus levels may be similar in people with the Delta variant regardless of vaccination status – and this could have implications for infectiousness, preliminary analysis suggests.
According to Public Health England (PHE), preliminary findings indicated that “levels of virus in those who become infected with Delta having already been vaccinated may be similar to levels found in unvaccinated people”.
“This may have implications for people’s infectiousness, whether they have been vaccinated or not,” it added.
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It emphasized it was “early exploratory analysis” and that more targeted studies were needed to give confirmation.
Ashish Joshi, Sky’s health correspondent, said PHE’s language was cautious, with several caveats such as “early exploratory findings.”
However, he stated that if the findings are confirmed, they could have “huge implications for transmissibility” as”data has consistently shown the vaccine slows down and should, effectively, stop the spread of the virus”.
Dr Simon Clarke, a Reading University microbiology professor, told Sky News that the early findings were a “big deal”.
“We’ll need more studies to find a definitive answer,” he said.
“But if the vaccine only blocks transmission by, say, 50% you’ll never get herd immunity even with a 100% vaccine uptake.”
The Delta variant, which originated in India, remains dominant in the US and accounts for approximately between 80% and 87% of all U.S.
Coronavirus hospitalizations are increasing once again as the more potent delta variant spreads throughout the country.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the number of people hospitalised in the United States has more than tripled in the last month, from an average of roughly 12,000 to nearly 43,000. Cases of the variant have risen to an average of 94,000 per day, a level not seen since mid-February.
Florida, Georgia, and Louisiana collectively account for nearly 40% of all hospitalizations in the United States. Louisiana and Georgia have some of the lowest vaccination rates in the country, with only 38% of their populations completely immunised. Florida’s rate, at 49 percent, is closer to the national average.
New hospitalization data confirms once again that, while vaccines provide a high level of protection, they are not 100 percent effective.
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“We must also remember that the vaccines do not eliminate all risk: it is still possible to become unwell with COVID and infect others,” said Dr Jenny Harries, head of the UK Health Security Agency.
Photo by Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images