Sputnik V more effective on ‘Delta’ COVID-19 variant than any other vaccine: RDIF

The Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) on Tuesday said that the Russian Sputnik V COVID-19 vaccine is more efficient against the Delta variant of the virus, first identified in India

Vials labelled "Sputnik V coronavirus disease (COVID-19) vaccine" are seen in this illustration picture taken May 2, 2021. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration - RC2M7N9ZD1HV

The Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) on Tuesday said that the Russian Sputnik V COVID-19 vaccine is more efficient against the Delta variant of the virus, first identified in India than any other vaccine so far.

Taking to Twitter, the official handle of the Russian vaccine affirmed that Sputnik V’s efficacy is better on the Delta variant than any other vaccine that published results on the strain so far.

“RDIF: “SputnikV is more efficient against the Delta variant of coronavirus, first detected in India than any other vaccine that published results on this strain so far – the Gamaleya Center study submitted for publication in an international peer-reviewed journal,” tweeted Sputnik V.

The Delta variant has been listed as the fourth Variant of Concern (VoC) by the World Health Organization (WHO) and is believed to have led to the resurgence of COVID-19 infections in many countries, including the devastating second wave in India.

On Monday, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson extended COVID-19 restrictions in England till July 19, which were earlier scheduled to be lifted on June 21, due to concerns over the spread of the Delta variant.

“We are so concerned by the Delta variant that is now spreading faster than the third wave that was predicted in the February roadmap. We are seeing cases growing by about 64 per cent per week and in the worst affected areas, it is doubling every week and the average number of people being admitted in a hospital has increased by 50 per cent week-on-week and by 61 per cent in the northwest which may be the shape of things to come,” Johnson told reporters at 10 Downing Street.

Last week, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said with the increased global transmission of variants of concern including the Delta variant, lifting restrictions too quickly could be disastrous for those who are not vaccinated.

A study has revealed that the Delta variant, which was first detected in India, is “more infectious” and is also the reason behind the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Delta variant or the B.1.617.2 strain is “more infectious” than the Alpha variant which was first detected in Kent, UK, stated the study carried out by scientists of Indian SARS-CoV-2 Genomic Consortia (INSACOG) and National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC).

The WHO last month informed that the variant, first found in India in October last year, had been detected in sequences uploaded “from more than 40 countries in all six WHO regions”. (ANI)

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