What Makes Delta the Most Disruptive Virus Variant

This variant carries a genetic mutation that allows it to more easily bind to ACE2, a protein on some human cells that is able to cause infections more easily. A study in China found that the concentration of viral particles, or viral load, in the airways of people with recent delta infections was about 1,200 times higher than in those infected with the original strain of coronavirus. The study, released without prior review by experts in the same field, also notes that delta can be detected in patients four days after infection – two days earlier. than previously observed, suggesting that this strain replicates more rapidly and may make individuals more infectious in the early stages of infection. The short incubation period could make it more difficult to contain an outbreak by tracing the contacts of infected people and requiring them to isolate, a strategy adopted by countries such as China and Australia. rely heavily on; shorter incubation periods make it more difficult to identify contacts before they infect themselves.