Delta cases show a 300-fold higher viral load: South Korean study

SEOUL, Aug 24 (Reuters) – People infected with the most transmissible Delta variant have a 300-fold higher viral load than the original version of the COVID-19 virus, when symptoms are first observed, according to a study of South Korea.

But the amount gradually declined over time (up to 30 times in four days and more than 10 times in nine days) and coincided with levels seen in other variants after 10 days, the Agency said on Tuesday. of Korea Disease Control and Prevention (KDCA).

The higher load means the virus spreads much more easily from person to person, increasing infections and hospitalizations, a health ministry official, Lee Sang-won, told a news conference.

“But that doesn’t mean Delta is 300 times more infectious … we believe its transmission rate is 1.6 times the Alpha variant and about twice the original version of the virus,” Lee said.

The Delta variant of the new coronavirus was first identified in India and the Alpha variant in the United Kingdom.

To prevent the spread of the Delta variant, now the dominant strain worldwide, the KDCA urged people to get tested immediately when COVID-19 symptoms develop and avoid in-person meetings.

The rapid spread of the Delta variant and low vaccination rates have surprised much of Asia, especially in emerging markets, even as the economies of Europe and North America reopen. Read more

The study compared the viral load of 1,848 patients infected with the Delta variant with 22,106 people who had other strains.

South Korea reported 1,509 new cases of coronavirus on Monday, bringing the total to 239,287 infections, with 2,228 deaths.

It has vaccinated 51.2% of its 52 million population with at least one dose of vaccine, while 23.9% has been completely vaccinated.

Edited by Jacqueline Wong

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