Health Ministry Reports New Subvariant of Delta More Contagious

YERUSHALAYIM
A health worker prepares a vaccination against the coronavirus at a vaccination center in Tel Aviv. (REUTERS/Ammar Awad/File Photo)

Israel’s Health Ministry reported that the new subvariant of the Delta coronavirus – AY4.2 – seems to be a little more contagious than the original Delta variant.

A child returning from Moldavia tested positive for the first case of this new variant in Israel last week.

Channel 13 quoted the ministry as saying that the new subvariant was 15% more contagious but did not appear to be deadlier. It was also responsive to the vaccines.

Six more cases have since been detected in returning travelers.

Most COVID-19 cases currently are of the Delta variant, while this new subvariant has appeared only sporadically, and is as yet not a big concern.

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