Delta variant 4x more infectious, causes severe illness

An infectious disease expert warned that the Delta variant of COVID-19 is highly dangerous due to its ability to spread through brief interactions.

Dr. Edsel Salvaña highlighted that the Delta variant is approximately four times more infectious than the original strain and twice as infectious as the UK variant.

He also noted that the Delta variant appears to cause more severe illness, affecting younger individuals significantly.

Citing reports from Australia's Health Department, Salvaña emphasized that transmission can occur with just fleeting contact, unlike the previous understanding that required 15 minutes of close contact.

The expert stressed the importance of continuous self-protection and urged the government to maintain strict border controls.

Salvaña also mentioned that the 17 cases of the Delta variant detected so far were all returning overseas Filipinos, indicating that quarantine protocols have been effective in preventing community spread.