A study conducted on 100 healthcare workers across three centers in India found that the Delta variant was eight times less sensitive to antibodies generated by the COVID-19 vaccine.
A local media reported on Monday that the study, named “Sars-Cov-2 B.1.617.2 Delta variant Emergence and Vaccine Breakthrough: Collaborative Study,” also found that the variant had a much higher capacity to infect more people.
The study conducted in India in collaboration with scientists from the Cambridge Institute of Therapeutic Immunology and Infectious Disease.
The study said the B.1.617.2 Delta variant dominated vaccine-breakthrough infections with higher respiratory viral loads compared to non-delta infections.
It added that the variant also generated greater transmission between fully vaccinated healthcare workers, as compared to other variants B.1.1.7 (Alpha variant) or B.1.617.1 (Kappa variant).
The Delta variant, the study said, was less sensitive to neutralising antibodies from recovered individuals, with “higher replication efficiency” as compared to the Alpha variant. (Xinhua/NAN)
