LAUSR

2020, the B.1.617.2 (delta) variant has spread across 85 countries as of yet. Its rapid proliferation has enforced WHO to classify the strain as a "variant of concern". Equipped with 10 spike protein mutations (T19R, (G142D*), 156del, 157del, R158G, L452R, T478K, D614G, P681R, D950N), especially the P681R mutation at the cleavage site S1-S2,1 the virus now has the ability to replicate and transmit at a rate much faster than the original SARS-CoV-2. This is evident from the fact that it is detectable in infected individuals just under 4 days after it's contraction, with a viral load 1,260 times higher, as compared to 6 days with the earliest form.2