UPSC Articles
Delta Variant as contagious as Chicken Pox: CDC document
Part of: GS Prelims and GS – II – Health
In news According to the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) document, the Delta variant of the coronavirus is as contagious as chickenpox.
About Delta variant
- SARS-CoV-2 Delta variant, also known as lineage B.1.617.2, is a variant of lineage B.1.617 of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19.
- It was first detected in India in late 2020.
- The WHO named it the Delta variant on 31 May 2021.
Key findings of the Document
- Delta variant probably causes more severe disease than past strains.
- A review of findings from other countries shows that each person with Delta infects on average eight others, making it as transmissible as chickenpox but still less than measles.
- The breakthrough cases in vaccinated individuals may be as transmissible as unvaccinated cases. Also, the breakthrough infections in vaccinated people are highly contagious.
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- A breakthrough infection occurs when someone who is fully vaccinated contracts the virus. Such infections are to be expected with any vaccines since they are never 100 percent effective at blocking infection
- Vaccine efficacy estimates vary across countries, but the CDC estimates the risk of severe disease or death is reduced 10-fold or greater in the vaccinated person, while risk of infection is reduced three-fold or greater.
Do you know?
- Experts rely on a number called the cycle threshold (Ct) value to indicate how much virus an infected person harbours, with lower numbers indicating higher viral load.
News Source: TH
