London:
UK overall health officials on Friday issued a warning of an elevated threat of catching the Delta variant even if an individual has had COVID-19 prior to and urged caution as additional investigations stay ongoing.
Public Health England (PHE), which monitors all variants of concern (VOC) in the nation on a weekly basis, discovered the Delta variant circumstances have risen by 33,716 considering the fact that last week to a total of 286,765 and continues to account for about 99 per cent of coronavirus circumstances across the UK.
It also revealed that 897 circumstances out of 68,688 infections of the Delta variant recorded in an 11-week period from April to June have been achievable reinfections.
“The Delta risk assessment has been updated to reflect early signs of increased risk of reinfection with Delta compared to Alpha [variant previously dominant in the UK],” the PHE mentioned.
“National surveillance analysis, adjusted for different variables including age and vaccination, shows a preliminary signal of increased risk of reinfection with Delta compared to Alpha. Further investigations are being undertaken,” it noted.
With reference to the most up-to-date hospitalisation information, 3,692 individuals have been hospitalised with the Delta variant, of whom 2,152 (58.3 per cent) have been unvaccinated and 843 (22.8 per cent) have been totally vaccinated.
“This most recent hospitalisation data shows once again just how crucial vaccination is in protecting us from severe illness and death, said Dr Jenny Harries,” Chief Executive of the UK Health Security Agency.
“Two doses of vaccine are far more effective against COVID-19 than a single dose, so please make sure that you come forward to get your second dose as soon as you are invited,” she mentioned.
“As we emerge from restrictions and vaccine coverage continues to rise, it is important to remember that while the protection provided by vaccination is excellent, it is not total. It is still as important as ever that we continue to exercise caution,” she added.