EU Warns: By End of Summer 90% of All Infections in Europe Will Be Delta Variant

The Delta variant, which was first detected in India, could account for 90% of new coronavirus infections in Europe by late August, the EU's disease control agency said on Wednesday.

"Based on the estimated transmission advantage of the Delta variant and using modelling forecasts, 70% of new SARS-CoV-2 infections are projected to be due to this variant in the EU/EEA by early August and 90% of infections by the end of August," the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) said in its regular threat assessment brief.

The variant, which first originated in India, has been declared "of concern" by the World Health Organisation (WHO) and has now spread to more than 60 countries worldwide. It is estimated to be 40-60% more transmissible than the Alpha variant, first detected in England.

The ECDC warned that "it is likely that the Delta variant will circulate extensively during the summer, particularly among younger individuals that are not targeted for vaccination."

In the UK, the Delta variant is already behind more than 90% of new COVID cases and has led to a surge of infections despite the high vaccination rate. This forced the government to delay a planned easing of restrictions in England by four weeks.

European member states have tightened border controls for travellers from India and from the UK as a result of the variant./euronews

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