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John Paraskevas/Newsday via Getty Images A nurse administers a COVID-19 test
The highly contagious delta variant of COVID-19 that has spread rapidly in India is now in the United States, alarming health experts in large parts of the country that remain unvaccinated.
The variant is found in more than 6% of cases in the United States, and may be a cause of more than 18% in some parts of the country, according to the Centers for Disease Control.
The strain, first identified in India and also known as B.1.617.2, has been established in the United Kingdom and accounts for 60% of the country’s cases. The UK was on the verge of easing COVID-19 restrictions on June 21, but is reassessing them due to the increase in cases.
“We cannot allow that to happen in the United States,” Dr. Anthony Fauci, the country’s top infectious disease expert, said during a White House briefing on COVID-19 on Tuesday.
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Fauci said the alternative may be “associated with increased disease severity” and an increased risk of hospitalization from COVID-19, but that vaccines have been effective against it. A study from Public Health England found that people fully vaccinated with the Pfizer vaccine had an 88% protection against the Delta strain, NPR reported. A single dose of the vaccine provided 33% protection, highlighting the need for both doses.
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With the UK vaccinating citizens at a slower rate, and just starting to expand eligibility for people in their 20s, Fauci said their situation made a “strong case” for vaccination. He stressed the need for people to get doses of the Pfizer vaccine or the Moderna vaccine, “and for those who have not yet been vaccinated, please vaccinate.”
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President Joe Biden has set a goal of vaccinating 70% of Americans by July 4, although vaccinations have slowed in recent weeks. As of June 9, 51.8% of all Americans had received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine and 42.5% had been fully vaccinated, according to the CDC. Among Americans eligible for vaccination, those aged 12 and over, 61.3% received at least one dose and 50.3% were fully vaccinated.
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