Delta variant may increase risk of hospitalisation in UK

The Delta variant of COVID-19, first found in India, has now emerged as the dominant strain in the UK and may send more to the hospital compared to the Alpha variant. According to the Public Health England (PHE) there were 5,472 new cases of the Delta variant reported in latest weekly figures, taking the total confirmed cases of the variant to 12,431. It had overtaken Alpha, the variant first identified in England's Kent, as Britain's dominant variant. Most of these patients have not been vaccinated, according to PHE.

The Delta variant is also thought to be more transmissible than Alpha, and Prime Minister Boris Johnson has warned that it could derail plans for lockdown restrictions in England to end on June 21.PHE said that early evidence suggested there may be an increased risk of hospitalisation for Delta, also known as B.1.617.2, compared to Alpha, known as B.1.1.7, but more data was needed in order to have more confidence in that finding. "With this variant now dominant across the UK, it remains vital that we all continue to exercise as much caution as possible," said Jenny Harries, Chief Executive, UK Health Security Agency.