Delta strain and hospitalization risks – why the virus is dangerous

Experts rely on data that indicate more than 43 thousand cases of COVID-19 registered in England from March 29 to May 23, 2021.

What the study showed

According to study co-author Ann Presanis, if there was no coronavirus vaccine, then an epidemic across the Delta would create great consequences and a burden on the health system.

The proportion of cases associated with the Alpha strain (confirmed by sequencing) averaged 80% over the entire period (99.8% in the first week, down to 34.8% in the last), and 20% were associated with the delta variant.

Three quarters of them (74%) were not vaccinated, and a quarter (24%) received only a single dose, with fully vaccinated people accounting for only 1.8% of infections. 2.3% Delta-positive cases were hospitalized within two weeks of testing positive, compared to 2.2% of Alpha variant cases.

In addition, patients who are affected by the Delta strain were noticeably younger, with an average age of 29 compared to 31 for the Alpha variant.

The co-author also added that the results of this study tell us primarily about risk of hospitalization for those who are not vaccinated or partially vaccinated.

Delta strain symptoms

The symptoms of this strain are slightly different from those of a common coronavirus, among the main ones:

• headache;
• sore throat;
• runny nose;
• fever.

Also, the number one symptom for people with Delta is headache, followed by sore throat, runny nose, and fever. The next one is a cough, however, it is rare.

In addition, loss of smell is not among the top 10 symptoms that people with Delta strain show.

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