Thursday, Jun. 24, 2021
Do symptoms of the COVID-19 Delta variant differ from those of previous variants?
The mix of symptoms among those sickened by the Delta variant of the coronavirus appear to be somewhat unlike those of previous variants.
According to an ongoing study, “headache, sore throat, a runny nose, and fever” are the most common COVID-19 symptoms of those infected by the Delta variant in the U.K. Cough and “loss of smell” are less common symptoms for the Delta variant.
Doctors in Southeast China have seen patients becoming sicker more quickly, with their conditions “deteriorating more quickly” since the spread of the Delta variant. A U.K. study has found “increased risk” of hospitalization for Delta infections.
Another U.K. study found the Delta variant to be around 60% more transmissible than Alpha, the former most-transmissible variant.
There is not yet enough data to answer concerns that the Delta variant may be more deadly than previous variants.
This fact brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.
Sources
- Gavi: The Vaccine Alliance Five things we know about the Delta variant (and two things we don't)
- CNBC WHO says delta is becoming the dominant Covid variant globally
- Public Health England SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern and variants under investigation in England—Technical briefing 14
- Public Health England researchers Increased household transmission of COVID-19 cases associated with Delta variant in the UK
About fact briefs
Fact briefs are bite-sized, well-sourced explanations that offer clear "yes" or "no" answers to questions, confusions, and unsupported claims circulating online. They rely on publicly available data and documents, often from the original source. Fact briefs are written and published by Gigafact contributor publications.
See all fact briefs
Between 2020 and 2022, under close editorial supervision, Gigafact contracted a group of freelance writers and editors to test the concepts for fact briefs and provide inputs to our software development process. We call this effort Gigafact Foundry. Over the course of these two years, Gigafact Foundry writers published over 1500 fact briefs in response to claims they found online. Their important work forms the basis of Gigafact formats and editorial guidelines, and is available to the public on Gigafact.org. Readers should be aware that while there is still a lot of relevant information to be found, not all fact briefs produced by Gigafact Foundry reflect Gigafact's current methods and standards for fact briefs. If you come across any that you feel are out of date and need to be looked at with fresh eyes, don't hesitate to contact us at support@gigafact.org.
Learn MoreLatest Fact Briefs
Is there a scientific consensus that life begins at conception?
Thursday, Aug. 4, 2022
Do countries around the world subsidize fossil fuels?
Wednesday, Aug. 3, 2022
Is the repeal of Roe v. Wade expected to increase the maternal death rate?
Wednesday, Jul. 27, 2022