The delta variant of the coronavirus is more contagious.
Many studies confirm this.
Karl Lauterbach draws his conclusions.
Berlin - The delta variant is currently being watched particularly keenly in politics and science.
The epidemiologist and SPD health politician Karl Lauterbach is also speaking and writing increasingly about this new variant of the corona virus.
So also on his Twitter account.
On this he draws attention to an article that presents several current studies on the delta variant.
Among other things, these investigate how the delta variant behaves in comparison to the other existing variants of the coronavirus.
The result is therefore clear and alarming: the viral load is higher in the delta variant and rises faster than in other variants.
Delta variant of the coronavirus: viral load 1260 times higher
In one study, for example, the viral load in the first positive PCR test was on average 1260 times higher than in the so-called "wild type" of the coronavirus. In addition, the study found that the first positive PCR test already had an infectious viral load of around 80 percent. With the “wild type” it was only 19 percent. After all, according to the study results, it takes an average of 16 hours for the delta variant to develop an infectious viral load, while for the wild type it was two days.
Another study found that the incubation time for the delta variant was around 4.4 days and 64.7 percent of transmissions occurred before symptoms began.
Both values are below those of other variants: Both the incubation and latency periods are shorter in the delta variant.
Based on these results, the text to which Lauterbach refers in his tweet predicts an autumn and winter with high incidences.
Delta variant: everyone infected a super spreader?
(1) Article is very readable for everyone who wants to deal with Delta Variants.
It's worth it, because decisions are to be made in autumn.
Delta has more than 1000 times the viral load.
Therefore, you have to consider every infected person as a super spreader.
Contagion is huge indoors https://t.co/DjpDKrvR3K
- Karl Lauterbach (@Karl_Lauterbach) August 11, 2021
Lauterbach, who has been a regular guest on political talk shows since the beginning of the corona pandemic has warned and advised, also uses these results for an assessment: He emphasizes the "1000 times the viral load", which is why he regards "every infected person as a super spreader".
The risk of infection is therefore very high, especially indoors, which is particularly relevant again at the beginning of the cold season.
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