COVID-19 hospitalization risk doubles with Delta variant

(VOVWORLD) - COVID-19 patients infected with the Delta variant had about double the risk of hospitalization compared to those infected with the Alpha variant, according to a study published Friday in the journal Lancet Infectious Diseases.

COVID-19 treatment at a London hospital, England. (AFP/VNA)

Researchers analysed around 43,000 COVID-19 cases in England between March and May this year. 1.8% of them were fully vaccinated, 24% got the first shot, and about 75% unvaccinated at the time.

A previous study in Scotland also found a double risk of hospital admission for patients infected with Delta versus Alpha.

The Delta variant was first detected in India last December, and initial studies showed that it had a 50% higher risk of infection compared to Alpha, which was first found in England last September.