The coronavirus delta variant that rose to prominence in late June is more transmissible than its predecessors. But does it cause more severe cases of COVID-19?
A Centers for Disease Control and Prevention-led study finds that people hospitalized with COVID-19 after the delta variant became dominant did not face greater risk of ICU admission, ventilator use or death than their pre-delta counterparts.
The findings agree with previous studies of children and adolescents hospitalized for COVID-19 during Delta.
However, the proportion of hospital patients between ages 18 and 49 increased significantly — from just under 25% to almost 36% — as did the proportion of unvaccinated patients. Unvaccinated adults accounted for almost 72% of COVID-19 hospitalizations in the Delta period, and almost 44% of those patients were ages 18–49.
The results underscore the importance of vaccinations for all eligible adults.
