However, both vaccines were only 33% effective against Delta after one dose, versus 50% effective against Alpha. Two doses of the AstraZeneca were 60% effective against Delta compared to 66% against Alpha. One study found that two doses of the Pfizer vaccine were 88% effective against symptomatic disease from the Delta variant, versus 93% effective against the Alpha strain. Vaccines appear to be less effective against the Delta variant than the Alpha strain, but they are still highly effective at preventing disease after two doses.
Both Alberta and Manitoba have reported deaths linked to the Delta variant, including the death of at least one person who was fully vaccinated against COVID-19. Alberta has reported several hundred cases and officials say the number of cases appears to be doubling every six to 12 days.
Ontario estimates Delta accounted for 40% of new COVID-19 cases in that province as of June 14. Experts have warned the Delta strain may drive a fourth wave of COVID-19 in Canada and are urging governments to shift the focus of vaccination campaigns to deliver second doses as soon as possible.Īccording to Evans, Canada’s case counts involving the Delta variant are unclear because the variant may not be detected by some rapid tests. Studies out of the United Kingdom suggest the Delta variant is up to 60% more transmissible than the Alpha variant. One study found that the AstraZeneca vaccine was 70% effective in preventing symptomatic COVID-19 caused by the Alpha variant, while another study estimated the efficacy of the Pfizer vaccine at roughly 90%.įirst documented in India in October last year, the highly transmissible Delta variant is on track to eclipse the Alpha variant as Canada’s dominant strain this summer. Evans attributes this drop to more than half of Canadians receiving at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine. Gerald Evans, chair of infectious diseases at Queen’s University in Kingston, Ont.ĭaily reports from Public Health Ontario suggest new cases from the Alpha variant are declining. The Alpha variant is also linked with surges in COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations among young people - although it’s unclear whether those surges were due to the variant or other factors, says Dr.
Alpha beta gamma delta driver#
The Alpha strain is the most common variant of concern in Canada, accounting for more than 216 000 cases of COVID-19 across the country as of June 17.įirst documented in the United Kingdom in September last year, Alpha is 50% more transmissible than earlier strains and was a major driver of Canada’s third wave of COVID-19 in the first months of 2021.
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