Delta variant could double risk of hospitalization, study says

FILE – Patty Trejo, 54, holds the hand of her intubated husband, Joseph, in a COVID-19 unit at St. Jude Medical Center, in Fullerton, Calif., Monday, Feb. 15, 2021. A summer coronavirus surge driven by the delta variant is again straining some hospitals particularly in rural areas of California, but the trend shows signs of moderating and experts say they expect improvement in coming weeks. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong, File)

by: NBC News

Posted: Aug 28, 2021 / 01:29 PM EDT

Updated: Aug 28, 2021 / 01:29 PM EDT

People infected with the delta variant of the coronavirus have double the risk of hospitalization compared with earlier versions of the virus, according to a large study from England published Friday in The Lancet Infectious Diseases.

The study confirms prior research that suggested the highly infectious variant could lead to greater risk of hospitalization, including research from Scotland published in June.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention classified delta as a “variant of concern” in June, telling NBC News in a statement at the time that the classification was “based on mounting evidence that the Delta variant spreads more easily and causes more severe cases when compared to other variants.”

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