Delta variant infection viral load "1,260 times higher than that of the original virus"

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Delta variant infection viral load "1,260 times higher than that of the original virus"

Source is live science, so exercise caution as always:

We may finally know why the delta variant of coronavirus is so infectious

2 hours ago
People might test positive a couple days sooner with the delta variant.

People infected with the delta variant of the novel coronavirus may be carrying more than a thousand times more virus particles and may test positive two days earlier than those infected with the original SARS-CoV-2, according to an early new study. The study has not been peer reviewed and looked at only a small number of cases in China, but if the results can be confirmed, they may explain, at least in part, why the delta variant is so much more infectious.

The delta variant has now spread to more than 100 countries and currently makes up 83% of new COVID-19 cases in the U.S., with particularly high case numbers in areas with low vaccination rates, Live Science previously reported. This variant is thought to be 60% more transmissible than the previous dominant strain, and twice as infectious as the original strain of SARS-CoV-2.

"The researchers also measured the viral loads when SARS-CoV-2 was first detected in the PCR tests. They found that the viral loads in the delta variant infections were 1,260 times higher than that of the original virus infections. This suggests that the delta variant can replicate in the body at a faster rate than the original virus."

livescience.com/covid-delta-variant-transmission.html




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