9-10% OF NEW CASES IN FRANCE NOW DELTA VARIANT

Wed 23 June 2021:

Up to 10% of France’s newly-registered coronavirus cases are the Delta variant, government spokesman Gabriel Attal said on Wednesday.

The Delta strain of the coronavirus was first identified in India in December 2020.

“There are concerns about the worldwide spread of the new coronavirus strain Delta found in India, which is considered to be more contagious…

In France, the percentage of infection with this variant is 9-10%, ” Attal said at a briefing on Wednesday.

It comes as a new study has also indicated that cases of the variant have been rising significantly in that region. In comparison, however, the British Medical Journal states this week that “almost all new cases” in the UK now concern this variant.

Results from the new study published on June 20 (which have not yet been peer-reviewed) confirmed “rapid growth” of the variant in Ile-de-France.

Researchers ran tests on 5,061 positive test samples in Ile-de-France taken from May 31-June 8 and found that Delta could be 92% more transmissible than other variants. Even so, 94% of the people tested had not been hospitalised.

After modelling different scenarios, they concluded: “The Delta variant has the potential to initiate a rebound of the epidemic between now and the end of summer, and a major challenge for public health authorities.”

They added: “The next few weeks will be decisive.”

Studies from the UK have estimated that the variant is 34-60% more transmissible than other variants.

Earlier in June, the World Health Organization included the Delta variant in its list of the so-called variants of concern as it became prevalent and caused a resurgence of coronavirus cases in some countries. India has also recorded 22 cases of the novel Delta Plus strain, which was first discovered in March.

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