A sub-variant of the Delta variant, often referred to as Delta Plus was detected in Switzerland for the first time in September 2021, announced the Federal Office of Public Health (FOPH) this week, reported Le Matin.
Detected for the first time in India over spring, the AY4.2 variant or Delta Plus variant is thought to be 10% more contagious than Delta. The FOPH said it is not currently planning any specific response to the arrival of the new Delta sub-variant.
The difference between Delta and Delta Plus is smaller than the difference between the Delta and Alpha variants. Delta is thought to be 50% more contagious than Alpha.
In the UK where it was first detected in April 2021 it currently makes up around 6% of cases.
Experts say the new sub variant is unlikely to escape current vaccines and there is no evidence that it causes more severe disease,
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Le Matin article (in French) – Take a 5 minute French test now
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