‘Delta variant 60% more transmissible’

The Delta coronavirus variant, first identified in India, is believed to be 60% more transmissible than the Alpha variant, which was previously dominant in Britain, a prominent UK epidemiologist said. Neil Ferguson of Imperial College London said estimates of Delta’s transmission edge over Alpha had narrowed, and “we think 60% is probably the best estimate”. Ferguson said that up to a quarter of the Delta variant’s transmissibility edge over Alpha -the variant first detected in the UK that drove the second wave of infections in the country -- might come from its immune escape from vaccines, saying it was “a contribution but not an overwhelming contribution” to its advantage. Delta variant reduces efficacy of first shot, but protection is higher for those who have received both doses.