3 ms·

What is the nature of the delta mutations ie what mechanism/a make it more infectious?

deleted 5y ago
[deleted]
toss1 5y ago
The measured viral load is substantially higher (e.g., 1000x in some studies) vs the original strain, and it is suspected, but not proven (afaik) that this translates to more exhaled virus. What is known is that the virus ramps up in the infected people more quickly, and stays infectious longer, so for sure, each person is infectious for more days on both sides, increasing infectious opportunities. In the vaccinated population with breakthru Delta cases, the viral load initially approaches the load of unvaxed people in the first few days after becoming detectable, but then falls off much more rapidly.
- poisonarena 5y ago
  Can people who had the OG Covid(me) get it and get sick again? or are they more or less okay?
  - 6nf 5y ago
    There are only handful of verified cases of people getting covid more than once. It's extremely rare from what I can tell.
    - toss1 5y ago
      Both are fairly rare, but the latest data I've seen shows both 1) weaker and faster decaying immune response in previously infected people vs immune response from vaccine, and 2) previously infected people getting infected at abt 2X the rate of fully vaccinated people. (Sorry, no ref links on hand at the moment)
      - 6nf 5y ago
        Please post those links later when you get a chance
        toss1 5y ago
        Here's a few: Johjns Hopkins: Why COVID-19 Vaccines Offer Better Protection Than Infection https://www.jhsph.edu/covid-19/articles/why-covid-19-vaccines-offer-better-protection-than-infection.html https://www.jhsph.edu/covid-19/articles/why-covid-19-vaccine... NIH: How Immunity Generated from COVID-19 Vaccines Differs from an Infection https://directorsblog.nih.gov/2021/06/22/how-immunity-generated-from-covid-19-vaccines-differs-from-an-infection/ https://directorsblog.nih.gov/2021/06/22/how-immunity-genera... Also, preprint on kinetics of regular infections vs breakthrus, showing vaccines rapidly suppressing viral loads - "Virological and serological kinetics of SARS-CoV-2 Delta variant vaccine-1 breakthrough infections: a multi-center cohort study" https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.07.28.21261295v1.full.pdf https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.07.28.21261295v... Most illustrative is the chart on ~pg16, line 298.
- icegreentea2 5y ago
  The original 1000x study (I don't know if there's been another with a number that high) was actually a measurement of viral load on first detection. This is different from straight up viral load (other papers seem to indicate that delta is more like 4x viral load at peak compared to alpha at peak). The 1000x is due to how aggressively delta variant is about to replicate. As for what the actual changes in mechanism is... I could try to summarize this (https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-021-02039-y https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-021-02039-y), but I think I would fail. It's a nature news article (so free access for everyone!). It's on the technical side of pop-sci.
haimez 5y ago
Here, LMGTFY: https://lmgtfy.app/?q=What+is+the+nature+of+the+delta+mutations+ie+what+mechanism%2Fa+make+it+more+infectious%3F https://lmgtfy.app/?q=What+is+the+nature+of+the+delta+mutati...
EMM_386 5y ago
I read this article, it sheds some light on this: https://www.pbs.org/newshour/health/how-these-mutations-made-delta-the-most-transmissible-covid-variant-yet https://www.pbs.org/newshour/health/how-these-mutations-made...

deleted 5y ago

[deleted]

The measured viral load is substantially higher (e.g., 1000x in some studies) vs the original strain, and it is suspected, but not proven (afaik) that this translates to more exhaled virus. What is known is that the virus ramps up in the infected people more quickly, and stays infectious longer, so for sure, each person is infectious for more days on both sides, increasing infectious opportunities. In the vaccinated population with breakthru Delta cases, the viral load initially approaches the load of unvaxed people in the first few days after becoming detectable, but then falls off much more rapidly.

poisonarena 5y ago
Can people who had the OG Covid(me) get it and get sick again? or are they more or less okay?
- 6nf 5y ago
  There are only handful of verified cases of people getting covid more than once. It's extremely rare from what I can tell.
  - toss1 5y ago
    Both are fairly rare, but the latest data I've seen shows both 1) weaker and faster decaying immune response in previously infected people vs immune response from vaccine, and 2) previously infected people getting infected at abt 2X the rate of fully vaccinated people. (Sorry, no ref links on hand at the moment)
    - 6nf 5y ago
      Please post those links later when you get a chance
      - toss1 5y ago
        Here's a few: Johjns Hopkins: Why COVID-19 Vaccines Offer Better Protection Than Infection https://www.jhsph.edu/covid-19/articles/why-covid-19-vaccines-offer-better-protection-than-infection.html https://www.jhsph.edu/covid-19/articles/why-covid-19-vaccine... NIH: How Immunity Generated from COVID-19 Vaccines Differs from an Infection https://directorsblog.nih.gov/2021/06/22/how-immunity-generated-from-covid-19-vaccines-differs-from-an-infection/ https://directorsblog.nih.gov/2021/06/22/how-immunity-genera... Also, preprint on kinetics of regular infections vs breakthrus, showing vaccines rapidly suppressing viral loads - "Virological and serological kinetics of SARS-CoV-2 Delta variant vaccine-1 breakthrough infections: a multi-center cohort study" https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.07.28.21261295v1.full.pdf https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.07.28.21261295v... Most illustrative is the chart on ~pg16, line 298.
icegreentea2 5y ago
The original 1000x study (I don't know if there's been another with a number that high) was actually a measurement of viral load on first detection. This is different from straight up viral load (other papers seem to indicate that delta is more like 4x viral load at peak compared to alpha at peak). The 1000x is due to how aggressively delta variant is about to replicate. As for what the actual changes in mechanism is... I could try to summarize this (https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-021-02039-y https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-021-02039-y), but I think I would fail. It's a nature news article (so free access for everyone!). It's on the technical side of pop-sci.

haimez 5y ago

Here, LMGTFY: https://lmgtfy.app/?q=What+is+the+nature+of+the+delta+mutations+ie+what+mechanism%2Fa+make+it+more+infectious%3F https://lmgtfy.app/?q=What+is+the+nature+of+the+delta+mutati...

EMM_386 5y ago

I read this article, it sheds some light on this: https://www.pbs.org/newshour/health/how-these-mutations-made-delta-the-most-transmissible-covid-variant-yet https://www.pbs.org/newshour/health/how-these-mutations-made...