COVID-19 Delta variants-Current status and implications as of August 2021

Flora Yu; Lok-Ting Lau; Manson Fok; Johnson Yiu-Nam Lau; Kang Zhang

doi:10.1093/pcmedi/pbab024

COVID-19 Delta variants-Current status and implications as of August 2021

Precis Clin Med. 2021 Sep 20;4(4):287-292. doi: 10.1093/pcmedi/pbab024. eCollection 2021 Dec.

Authors

Flora Yu¹, Lok-Ting Lau², Manson Fok³, Johnson Yiu-Nam Lau², Kang Zhang³

Affiliations

¹ Department of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, Texas 75080-3021, USA.
² Hong Kong Baptist University, Kowloon Tong, Hong Kong SAR 999077, China.
³ University Hospital and Faculty of Medicine, Macau University of Science and Technology, Macau SAR 999078, China.

Abstract

The SARS-CoV-2 Delta variant has evolved as the dominant strain of the current pandemic. Studies have shown that this variant has increased infectivity/viral load, and reduced neutralization by the host antibodies from convalescent patients/vaccinees. Clinically, Delta variant infection has been observed/documented in convalescent patients/vaccinees, although with less incidence of severe diseases, but can serve as reservoir to spread the infection to the unvaccinated. The current understanding (as of 18 August 2021) on the virologic aspect (including the amino acid substitutions), clinical implications, and public health implications will be discussed in this mini review, and recommendations to health authorities will be provided.

Keywords: COVID-19; Delta variant; SARS-CoV-2; coronavirus; transmissibility; vaccine.