New research from England adds further evidence that the delta variant poses a greater threat than earlier strains of the coronavirus. 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 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.” The new study adds further evidence that the delta variant indeed poses a greater threat. Researchers at Public Health England sequenced the virus in more than 43,000 cases from late March to late May.

At that point, the delta variant was beginning to gain a foothold in Britain, but had not yet taken over as the dominant variant. The majority of people in the study — 80 percent — were infected with the alpha variant, which swept England in late 2020. Just 20 percent had confirmed delta variant infections. Less than 2 percent of people were fully vaccinated and nearly 75 percent were unvaccinated. The remaining individuals were partially vaccinated, having only received one dose of the two-dose series.

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