The B.1.617.2 (delta) variant of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the virus that causes coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19), has contributed to a surge in cases in India and has now been detected across the globe, including a notable increase in cases in the United Kingdom. The effectiveness of the BNT162b2 and ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 vaccines against this variant has been unclear. The delta variant was the reason for the second wave in India that took many lives Vaccines have been found to be highly efficacious at preventing symptomatic disease, as shown by clinical trials and real-world evidence. The B.1.1.7 (alpha) variant, first identified in the United Kingdom, was the predominant lineage seen between January and May 2021.
Levels of protection against the alpha variant that are conferred by vaccination are similar to those observed in clinical trials, with additional protection against severe disease. Laboratory data indicate that the B.1.351 (beta) variant has reduced neutralization, according to analysis of serum samples obtained from vaccinated persons. Observational data from Qatar indicated modestly reduced effectiveness against symptomatic disease caused by this variant but high levels of effectiveness against severe, critical, or fatal disease in persons vaccinated with the BNT162b2 vaccine (Pfizer–BioNTech). Furthermore, a trial of the NVX-CoV2373 vaccine (Novavax) showed 51.0% efficacy against the beta variant. Finally, high levels of neutralization have been seen with the P.1 (gamma) variant in serum samples obtained from persons vaccinated with the BNT162b2 vaccine, and one study showed only minimally reduced vaccine effectiveness against test-positive cases with one dose of messenger RNA vaccine.
India has experienced a surge in cases of coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) since late March 2021, reaching more than 400,000 cases and 4000 deaths reported each day in early May 2021. This increase has resulted in hospital services becoming overwhelmed and in a scarcity of oxygen supplies. Although only a small proportion of samples have been sequenced, B.1.617 lineages of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) have dominated. The B.1.617.2 (delta) variant was first detected in India in December 2020 and became the most commonly reported variant in the country starting in mid-April 2021 As of May 19, 2021, the variant had been detected in 43 countries across six continents in GISAID (originally an acronym for global initiative on sharing avian influenza data but more recently a site for compiling sequence data on viruses, particularly influenza and coronaviruses, that threaten to cause a pandemic).
In the United Kingdom, a rapid increase in cases with this variant has been seen associated with travel from India and with community transmission.Effectiveness after one dose of covishield or biotech vaccine (BNT162b2 or ChAdOx1 nCoV-19) was notably lower among persons with the delta variant (30.7%; 95% confidence interval [CI], 25.2 to 35.7) than among those with the alpha variant (48.7%; 95% CI, 45.5 to 51.7); the results were similar for both vaccines.
With the BNT162b2 vaccine, the effectiveness of two doses was 93.7% (95% CI, 91.6 to 95.3) among persons with the alpha variant and 88.0% (95% CI, 85.3 to 90.1) among those with the delta variant. With the ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 vaccine, the effectiveness of two doses was 74.5% (95% CI, 68.4 to 79.4) among persons with the alpha variant and 67.0% (95% CI, 61.3 to 71.8) among those with the delta variant Only modest differences in vaccine effectiveness were noted with the delta variant as compared with the alpha variant after the receipt of two vaccine doses. Absolute differences in vaccine effectiveness were more marked after the receipt of the first dose. This finding would support efforts to maximize vaccine uptake with two doses among vulnerable populations
Aishwarya Says:
I have always been against Glorifying Over Work and therefore, in the year 2021, I have decided to launch this campaign “Balancing Life”and talk about this wrong practice, that we have been following since last few years. I will be talking to and interviewing around 1 lakh people in the coming 2021 and publish their interview regarding their opinion on glamourising Over Work.
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