THE Covid-19 Infection Survey regularly tests a random sample of people in the United Kingdom for SARS-CoV-2.
Researchers have analyzed the study data taken before and after the Delta variant became dominant in the U.K.
The researchers found that vaccinated people with the Delta variant could have a viral load similar to those who had not received a vaccination.
A new study found that people vaccinated against coronavirus who have also contracted the Delta variant of SARS-CoV-2 could have similar peak levels of the virus as people who have not had a vaccination.
The researchers also found that while the vaccination offers significant protection against the Delta variant, the vaccines are less effective than against previous variants.
The researchers drew on data from the Covid-19 Infection Survey, a study led by the Office for National Statistics, the Department for Health and Social Care, and the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom.
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Vaccines are a key tool in the world’s response to the Covid-19 pandemic. While measures such as washing hands, social distancing, and wearing masks are still important, the effectiveness of the vaccines has been a success story of the pandemic.
Currently, the Delta variant of SARS-CoV-2 is a central concern. The Delta variant has rapidly spread in the U.K., making up an overwhelming number of cases.
According to Dr. Hans Henri P. Kluge, the World Health Organization’s (WHO) regional director for Europe, “[w]e are far from out of the woods in terms of the pandemic ending, and sadly, in many countries in our region, we are seeing a significant rise in cases associated with the spread of the highly transmissible Delta variant.”
“Despite tremendous efforts by Member States to vaccinate people across the region, millions more remain unvaccinated and therefore at risk of ending up in [the] hospital.”
“The good news is that the data clearly shows that receiving a full vaccination series significantly reduces the risk of severe disease and death. When called to do so, people should get vaccinated,” says Dr. Kluge.
While the vaccines still offer protection against the Delta variant, they are less effective than against previous variants, such as Alpha.
Delta is more infectious than previous variants, and researchers, drawing on the latest population data, have found that this is the case for people who have and have not had the vaccination.
