The Delta variant could become predominant in Japan on the eve of the Olympics, increasing the likelihood that foreign visitors will become vehicles for the spread of the virus around the world: three researchers from the universities of Kyoto and Hokkaido, who share the same their screenings on medRxiv, the site that collects scientific articles not yet reviewed for publication in an official journal.
According to their analysis, in Japan the Delta variant will overtake the Alpha variant "around July 12", thus a few days before the start of the Olympic Games scheduled for July 23. "The risk assessment - the researchers write - must take into account the fact that during the Games a considerable number of international visitors will be exposed to the Delta variant, and the greater mobility could further favor the spread of this variant with high transmissibility throughout. the world". The experts conclude by recalling that the interventions implemented against the Alfa variant may not be sufficient to fight the new Delta.
