Jordan News

The Indian strain of corona has spread to more than 80 countries since it was first discovered in India. It got its name “Delta” from the World Health Organization.

Viruses change all the time, and most changes are irrelevant. But there are concerns that some variants may evolve enough to become more infectious, cause more serious disease, or escape the protection offered by vaccines.

Experts say the delta variant spreads more easily because of mutations that improve its adhesion to cells in our bodies. In the UK, this variant is currently responsible for 90% of all new infections. In the United States, it accounts for 20% of infections, and health officials say it could also become the dominant type in the country.

Dr Jacob John, who studies viruses at Christian Medical College in Vellore in southern India, said it was not yet clear if this option would make people worse as more data should be collected.

Research has shown that available vaccines work against variants, including the delta variant. Researchers in England studied the effectiveness of the two-dose vaccines AstraZeneca and Pfizer-BioNTech against it compared to an alpha variant first discovered in the UK. The vaccines were protective for those who received both doses, but less so for those who received one dose.