As per researcher, people infected with delta variant of COVID-19 are more than twice as likely to end up in the hospital than with the alpha variant.
Also, vaccines from Pfizer Inc. and AstraZeneca Plc protect against delta. Researchers found that the shot made by Pfizer and partner BioNTech SE offered better protection in a large study from Scotland.
The findings were presented in a research letter published in The Lancet. This comes as U.K. officials ponder over whether to delay a lift in pandemic restrictions as the delta variant spreads. CLICK HERE TO READ MORE
“We need to encourage everyone to come forward and take up their offer of vaccination to ensure that they’ve had both of their doses,” Jim McMenamin, the COVID-19 incident director at Public Health Scotland, said at a media briefing.
Researchers from the Universities of Edinburgh and Strathclyde, as well as Public Health Scotland have come up with some significant findings. These pertain to the efficacy of these vaccines.
The Pfizer vaccine offered 92 per cent protection against the alpha variant. While it offers 79 per cent against the delta one 14 days after the second dose.
That compared with 73 per cent and 60 per cent protection for the Astra vaccine. The authors warn that the vaccine comparison should be interpreted with caution due to the data’s observational nature.
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