Research team delves further into Delta variant

A collaborative research team led by Zhong Nanshan, a famous Chinese respiratory disease expert, has thoroughly traced the complete chain of the Delta variant of concern (VOC) transmission in south China's Guangzhou, according to a paper released on September 12.

Published on EClinicalMedicine of The Lancet, a top general medical journal, research reveals that the Delta VOC has a short incubation period, fast transmission speed, a high viral load, a longer time for nucleic acid tests to show negative results, and a higher likelihood of developing into a serious illness.

The study carefully analyzed the epidemiological survey and viral nucleic acid gene sequencing of the COVID-19 outbreak in Guangzhou beginning on May 21.

The speed of mutation and variance of the Delta VOC type is faster than the original version, with four generations spreading within only 10 days.

According to research, the Delta VOC cohort has a median incubation period of 4.0 days, significantly shorter than the 6.0-day period seen with the original type.

The researchers also found that infection with the Delta variant is a risk factor for predicting the probability of severe illness.

Given this information, the characteristics of the Delta VOC call for more intensive prevention measures for future outbreaks.