SARS-CoV-2 Delta variant saliva viral load is 15-fold higher than wild-type strains

The emergence of SARS-CoV-2 Delta variants has escalated COVID-19 cases globally due to their high transmissibility. Since saliva is crucial for SARS-CoV-2 transmission, we hypothesized that a higher viral load of Delta variants in saliva than their parental wild-type strains contributed to the high transmissibility in the first place. However, studies have not reported this particular comparison done with viral copy numbers. Twenty-two genetically confirmed -positive saliva samples for wild-type strain and 32 Delta variants were statistically compared for viral copy number per milliliter determined by real-time qPCR combined with synthesized viral RNA and Poissons null distribution equation between the groups of wild and variant strains and between whole saliva and centrifugal supernatant in each group. We found that the copy number of the Delta variants was 15.1 times higher than wild-type strains of the whole saliva. In addition, the viral load of both strains in the whole saliva was higher than the pertinent supernatant, indicating that most viruses in the whole saliva are associated with host cells. Meanwhile, more than a million virions per milliliter of the viral load of the variants in the supernatants were 4.0 times higher but not significant than wild-type strains. Humanity must share our findings; the simple but concrete note that Delta variant viral load is abundant in the saliva is critical for preventing the spread of infection.