A new study conducted by Delhi’s Gangaram Hospital claims that the Delta variant of SARS-CoV-2 shows an eight-fold reduced sensitivity to vaccine-elicited antibodies. “Dominance of the Delta variant in India has been most likely driven by a combination of evasion of neutralising antibodies in previously infected individuals and increased virus infectivity,” the study claims.
The study also claims that the Delta variant is less sensitive to neutralising antibodies found in recovered Covid-19 patients. Re-infection and increased transmissibility played a significant role in the spread of the Delta variant of Covid-19, says the study conducted by Research Square.
“In an analysis of vaccine breakthrough in over 100 healthcare workers (HCW) across three centres in India, the Delta variant not only dominates vaccine-breakthrough infections with higher respiratory viral loads compared to non-Delta infections but also generates greater transmission between HCW as compared to B.1.1.7 or B.1.617.1,” says the study.
The same study also claims that the Delta variant shows higher replication in human primary airway cells
The Delta variant of SARS-CoV-2 was first identified in Maharashtra in late 2020 and has since spread throughout India. It has now displaced the B.1.1.7 or Alpha variant to become the dominant strain in the country. The B.1.617.2 or Delta variant of coronavirus has already been labeled a ‘variant of concern’ by the World Health Organisation.
