Social Media Post Claims Delta Variant Not Dangerous, Concern Overblown

A social media post claims that the Delta variant of COVID-19 is far less deadly than the mainstream media reports. The user backs up the claim with data from a June 25 report from Public Health England that indicates the Delta variant’s case fatality rate is 0.1 percent compared to 1.9 percent for the original strain. A spokesperson for the agency cautions that there is not sufficient evidence to determine if the Delta variant is less dangerous than the original strain. Experts added that a reduced case fatality for the Delta variant is expected given the higher vaccination rate compared to the start of the pandemic or when earlier variants were identified. A study from April found that the Delta variant in the UK is 43 percent to 90 percent more transmissible than the original, but found “no clear evidence for a change in disease severity.”

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