Delta plus variant, how contagious it is and vaccine protection: what we know

The Covid variant AY.4.2, the so-called Delta plus variant, is in the spotlight of the experts who take stock of contagiousness and risks with the Adnkronos Health. “A little hole the anti-Covid vaccines,” but not too much “says virologist Fabrizio Pregliasco, professor at the State University of Milan. “There is no such huge loss of protection,” he points out. “We have seen a decrease in efficiency – the expert recalls – even with the Delta variant and to date there is not a very big difference” with the Delta plus. Vaccines, however, “protect and even England where there is a large part” of the infections caused by Delta plus proves it. While with us this variant “there is, but it is not showing up too much”. “On the Delta plus variant, what we know to date is that its contagiousness is 15-20% higher than the Delta. So watch out: compared to the original coronavirus, we have more than 10 times higher contagiousness – says Matteo Bassetti, head of the department. of infectious diseases at the San Martino hospital in Genoa – In practice, an infectious disease more contagious than chicken pox. Today 9-10 people are infected. It is the variant that could upset the equilibrium. As aggressiveness it is not superior to the Delta and the vaccines seem to protect and work perfectly even against the Delta plus variant. But beware: this variant is instead a danger for the unvaccinated. Those who are not immunized today are at high risk of being infected in the next 6-8 months “.” If the Delta plus variant also becomes predominant in Italy – he warns – whoever is not vaccinated will be infected. So be careful, it is better to get immunized than to risk serious consequences “. According to the latest report from the Higher Institute of Health on pandemic coronavirus mutants, in Italy the so-called Delta plus variant is “present in 10 autonomous regions / provinces, but remains a minority”. “The Delta plus variant of Sars-CoV-2 it is to be studied and followed “like a special patient, explains the infectious disease specialist Massimo Galli. “For the moment we need to understand what is really underneath, without unnecessarily creating panic. It is too early to say what kind of threat it is”, whether it punctures the vaccines or not, whether it will spread to become dominant or not. In any case, “these ‘children’ of the Delta must be considered with extreme attention, as a dangerous potential evolution of the species”. These are aspects that “must be carefully monitored – underlines the specialist, former professor of infectious diseases at the State University of Milan – You can never do enough” on this.