Budapest Post

Cum Deo pro Patria et Libertate
Budapest, Europe and world news

Delta Still Dominates As More Covid Variants Emerge

Delta Still Dominates As More Covid Variants Emerge

Globally, delta has overtaken other strains of the virus in most countries and accounts for 99.8 percent of sequenced cases over the past 60 days according to the latest weekly report by the World Health Organization (WHO).
A new variant of Covid-19 detected in South Africa known as B.1.1.529 has caused flight bans and a scramble to determine vaccine efficacy.

It is the latest coronavirus strain to emerge since the start of the pandemic, including the currently dominant delta variant, which was first detected in India in October 2020.

Globally, delta has overtaken other strains of the virus in most countries and accounts for 99.8 percent of sequenced cases over the past 60 days according to the latest weekly report by the World Health Organization (WHO).

Next comes the gamma variant, which accounts for 0.1 percent of sequenced cases, followed by alpha and beta which each make up less than 0.1 percent.

Lesser-known variants like mu and lambda are rarely sequenced.

However, the WHO says that at a regional and national level there are variations in which strains dominate, especially in certain South American countries where delta has been slower to spread.

The emergence of variants is a natural process that happens as the virus mutates to ensure its survival over time.

Most mutations have little or no impact on the virus's ability to infect or cause severe disease.

But certain mutations can affect how easily the virus can spread, the degree of severity of the disease they cause and how well a vaccine can respond to them.

WHO experts following the evolution of the Covid-19 gathered Friday to determine whether it should be classified as "of concern" or "of interest".

They announced that it would take "several weeks" to understand how contagious B.1.1.529 is and the severity of the illness it can cause.

Currently, the WHO has classified only the alpha, beta, gamma and delta variants as being "of concern".

They are considered worrying because they are highly contagious or cause more severe illness.

Mu and lambda are considered "variants of interest" because they show genetic changes that mean they have potential to become more contagious, harder to detect, or cause more severe illness.

All variants are classified by "lineage" and have a specific spot in the family tree that originates with the first SARS-CoV-2 virus.

The delta variant is about twice as contagious as previous variants and vaccines are about 40 percent less effective at preventing infection from delta than from other variants.
AI Disclaimer: An advanced artificial intelligence (AI) system generated the content of this page on its own. This innovative technology conducts extensive research from a variety of reliable sources, performs rigorous fact-checking and verification, cleans up and balances biased or manipulated content, and presents a minimal factual summary that is just enough yet essential for you to function as an informed and educated citizen. Please keep in mind, however, that this system is an evolving technology, and as a result, the article may contain accidental inaccuracies or errors. We urge you to help us improve our site by reporting any inaccuracies you find using the "Contact Us" link at the bottom of this page. Your helpful feedback helps us improve our system and deliver more precise content. When you find an article of interest here, please look for the full and extensive coverage of this topic in traditional news sources, as they are written by professional journalists that we try to support, not replace. We appreciate your understanding and assistance.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Severe Heatwave Claims 2,300 Lives Across Europe
Declining Beer Consumption Signals Cultural Shift in Germany
Emails Leaked: How Passenger Luggage Became a Side Income for Airport Workers
Polish MEP: “Dear Leftists - China is laughing at you, Russia is laughing, India is laughing”
Western Europe Records Hottest June on Record
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
China’s Central Bank Consults European Peers on Low-Rate Strategies
France Requests Airlines to Cut Flights at Paris Airports Amid Planned Air Traffic Controller Strike
Poland Implements Border Checks Amid Growing Migration Tensions
Emirates Airline Expands Market Share with New $20 Million Campaign
Amazon Reaches Milestone with Deployment of One Millionth Robot
Yulia Putintseva Calls for Spectator Ejection at Wimbledon Over Safety Concerns
House Oversight Committee Subpoenas Former Jill Biden Aide Amid Investigation into Alleged Concealment of President Biden's Cognitive Health
Amazon Reaches Major Automation Milestone with Over One Million Robots
Extreme Heat Wave Sweeps Across Europe, Hitting Record Temperatures
Meta Announces Formation of Ambitious AI Unit, Meta Superintelligence Labs
Robots Compete in Football Tournament in China Amid Injuries
China Unveils Miniature Insect-Like Surveillance Drone
Marc Marquez Claims Victory at Dutch Grand Prix Amidst Family Misfortune
Germany Votes to Suspend Family Reunification for Asylum Seekers
Budapest Pride Parade Draws 200,000 Participants Amid Government Ban
Southern Europe Experiences Extreme Heat
Xiaomi's YU7 SUV Launch Garners Record Pre-Orders Amid Market Challenges
Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez's Lavish Wedding in Venice
Russia Launches Largest Air Assault on Ukraine Since Invasion
Massive Anti-Government Protests Erupt in Belgrade
Iran Executes Alleged Israeli Spies and Arrests Hundreds Amid Post-War Crackdown
Hungary's Prime Minister Criticizes NATO's Role in Ukraine
EU TO HUNGARY: LET THEM PRIDE OR PREP FOR SHADE. ORBÁN TO EU: STAY IN YOUR LANE AND FIX YOUR OWN MESS.
Hungarian Scientist to Conduct 30 Research Experiments on the International Space Station
NATO Members Agree to 5% Defense Spending Target by 2035
NATO Leaders Endorse Plan for Increased Defence Spending
U.S. Crude Oil Prices Drop Below $65 Amid Market Volatility
International Astronaut Team Launched to Space Station
Macron and Merz: Europe must arm itself in an unstable world
Germany and Italy Under Pressure to Repatriate $245bn of Gold from US Vaults
Iran Intensifies Crackdown on Alleged Mossad Operatives After Sabotage Claims
Trump Praises Iran’s ‘Very Weak’ Response After U.S. Strikes and Presses Israel to Pursue Peace
Oil Prices Set to Surge After US Strikes Iran
BA and Singapore Airlines Cancel Dubai Flights Amid Middle East Tensions
Trump Faces Backlash from MAGA Base Over Iran Strikes
Meta Bets $14 B on Alexandr Wang to Drive AI Ambitions
FedEx Founder Fred Smith, ‘Heart and Soul’ of the Company, Dies at 80
Chinese Factories Shift Away from U.S. Amid Trump‑Era Tariffs
Pimco Seizes Opportunity in Japan’s Dislocated Bond Market
Labubu Doll Drives Pop Mart to Status as China’s Most Valuable Toy Maker
Global Coal Demand Defies Paris Accord Goals
United States Conducts Precision Strikes on Iran’s Nuclear Sites
US strikes Iran nuclear sites, Trump says
×