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BREAKING
Al Mayadeen's correspondent: Two were martyred in an initial toll of the Israeli drone strike that targeted the al-Asira neighborhood in the city of Baalbek, eastern Lebanon
Al Mayadeen's correspondent: An Israeli drone strike targeted the al-Asira neighborhood east of Baalbek, eastern Lebanon
Sheikh Naim Qassem to the pager attack survivors: You are the greatest resistance. Know that 'Israel' will fall because it embodies aggression, crime, and occupation; victory is truly yours
Sheikh Qassem to the pager attack survivors: The value of what you are doing despite your wounds is immense, and here you are, treading the path of the Master of Nation's Martyrs and the leaders
Sheikh Qassem to the pager attack survivors: You are moving forward with insight deeper than sight itself. The enemy sought to eliminate your role in the battle, yet you remain steadfast and continue the fight
Hezbollah Secretary-General Sheikh Naim Qassem to the pager attack survivors one year later: You are healing from your wounds and rising above them. You have successfully passed the test
Palestinian media: Reports of stabbing operation in occupied al-Quds.
Israeli media: Sirens blare in Arava in South, near Ramon Airport.
Egyptian PM Mostafa Madbouli: Egypt is targeted in plans to redraw regional map
AEOI Chief Mohammad Eslami: Our presence in IAEA General Council and fact-checking helped in preventing unilateral rhetoric that aims to portray Iran as an unregulated country

Why Is Delta More Transmissible?

  • By Al Mayadeen
  • Source: Agencies
  • 8 Aug 2021 13:29
  • 1 Shares
2 Min Read

While a recent study indicated that the Delta variant of the coronavirus is the most contagious version of the coronavirus worldwide, the good news is that our current crop of COVID-19 jabs is proved to be relatively effective against it.

  • x
  •  Delta was first discovered in the Indian state of Maharashtra.
    Delta was first discovered in the Indian state of Maharashtra.

The Delta variant was previously known as the “Indian variant”, as it was first discovered in the Indian state of Maharashtra in late 2020 and has since spread throughout the country, displacing the Alpha variant and other pre-existing lineages of COVID-19, according to a recent study.

It’s The Most Contagious 

Scientists have recently reached an agreement after months of data collection, revealing that the delta variant of the coronavirus is the most contagious version of the coronavirus worldwide. It spreads two to three times faster than the original virus and is currently dominating the outbreak in the United States, accounting for more than 80% of COVID cases.

  • Delta variant has more syncytia than SARS-CoV-2
    Delta variant has more syncytia than SARS-CoV-2

The Delta is also more effective at cell destruction due to a mutation at position 681 of its spike protein, which is rapidly becoming common in other variants around the world and is thought to be an evolutionary game changer. 

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This P681R mutation facilitates Delta and related Kappa variants' invasion of the host cell, by fusing infected cells into structures known as a syncytium.

Kei Sato, a virologist at The University of Tokyo in Japan explained that “in cell culture experiments, we discovered that the Delta variant has more syncytia than SARS-CoV-2.” 

The Delta variant's spike protein has also experienced multiple mutations, which seem to improve the virus's ability to bind to the ACE2 receptor and evade the immune response.

Vaccines Still Work Well 

A new report stressed that only a complete dose of the COVID-19 vaccine can protect against this deadly variant, which is now dominant in the US, UK, and more than a dozen other countries.

  • Vaccines can effectively slow down the contagious pandemic
    Vaccines can effectively slow down the contagious pandemic

According to a recent study published in the New England Journal of Medicine, both the Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech mRNA vaccines are likely to protect against Delta, though not as well as they did against previous variants.

Even though vaccines can effectively slow down the contagious pandemic by increasing herd immunity, precautionary measures such as social distancing and masking are proven policies along with vaccination in curbing the spread of the virus.

  • delta variant
  • delta
  • COVID-19
  • COVID-19 Vaccines
  • Transmissible

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