Delta, Now A ‘Variant Of Concern,’ Accounts For 10 % Of New U.S. Cases, CDC Says

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the so-called delta form of the coronavirus is Variant Of Concern now accounts for about 10% of new cases in the United States.

The FDA labeled the variation, which was initially discovered in India, a “variant of concern” on Monday, a classification given when there is increasing evidence of characteristics such as transmissibility or severity, as well as lower vaccination or treatment efficiency.

The CDC said in a statement to NBC News that the change in categorization is “based on growing evidence that the Delta variation spreads more quickly and produces more severe infections as compared to other variations, including B.1.1.7 (Alpha).” The alpha variation was discovered in the United Kingdom initially, and it became the prevalent strain in the United States in April.

According to the CDC, the delta variant accounted for 9.9% of cases in the United States during the two-week period ending June 5. This number was 2.7 percent for the two weeks ended May 22.

The growth in the proportion of delta cases in the United States did not surprise experts who follow viral activity.

Dr. Wafaa El-Sadr, head of ICAP at Columbia University and professor of epidemiology and medicine at Columbia Mailman School of Public Health in New York City, explained, “Because [delta] has an edge in terms of transmissibility, it takes over.” “It’s only a question of time,” says the narrator.

The vaccinations now available in the United States are effective against both the delta and other circulating strains. The Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech vaccines both require two doses, but the Johnson & Johnson vaccination just requires one.

Two doses of the Pfizer vaccine are extremely efficient at avoiding hospitalization from the variation, according to Public Health England. Despite this, the fast spread of delta in the United Kingdom has prompted Prime Minister Boris Johnson to postpone the country’s reopening by a month, until July 19.

Because the delta form is more easily transmitted from person to person, researchers warn individuals who have not had the vaccination are most vulnerable.

“That’s where you’re more likely to get transmission clusters,” El-Sadr explained.

“For individuals who haven’t been vaccinated, this is the most hazardous phase of the epidemic,” said Dr. Gregory Poland, head of the Mayo Clinic’s Vaccine Research Group in Rochester, Minnesota.

As of Tuesday, slightly over 54% of people in the United States had got all of their vaccines, while almost 66% had gotten at least one dose.