Seoul: A study from South Korea has found that when symptoms are first observed, viral loads are 300 times higher in people infected with the more transmissible delta variant than in the original version of the COVID-19 virus. .
But the amount gradually decreased over time — 30 times in four days and more than 10 times in nine days — and it changed to other forms after 10 days, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) said on Tuesday. corresponds to the observed levels.
Lee Sang-won, a health ministry official, told a news conference that the higher load means the virus spreads more easily from person to person, leading to infections and hospitalizations.
“But that doesn’t mean that Delta is 300 times more contagious … we think its transmission rate is 1.6 times that of the alpha version, and about twice that of the original version of the virus,” Lee said.
The delta version of the novel coronavirus was first identified in India and the alpha version in the UK.
To avoid the spread of the delta variant, which is now dominant around the world, the KDCA urged people to get tested immediately if they develop COVID-19 symptoms and avoid in-person meetings.
The rapid spread and low vaccination rates of the delta variant have gripped much of Asia, especially in emerging markets, even as economies in Europe and North America reopen.
The study compared the viral loads of 1,848 patients infected with the delta variant with those of 22,106 people who had other strains.
South Korea reported 1,509 new coronavirus cases 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 the vaccine, while 23.9% have been fully vaccinated.
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