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The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Tuesday that the so-called delta variant of the coronavirus now accounts for nearly 10 percent of new cases in the United States.
The agency announced on Monday that the variant, which was first discovered in India, is a “variant of concern,” a designation given when there is increased evidence of factors such as transmissibility, severity or reduced efficacy of vaccines or treatments.
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In a statement to NBC News, the CDC said the change in classification “is based on increasing evidence that the delta variant spreads more easily and causes more severe conditions compared to other variants, including B.1.1.7 (alpha).” The alpha variant was first discovered in the UK, and in April, it became the dominant strain in the US
The CDC said data for the two-week period ending June 5 expects the delta variant to account for 9.9 percent of cases in the United States. In the two-week period ending May 22, that number was 2.7 percent.
Experts who track viral activity are not surprised by the increase in delta cases in the United States
“Because [delta] It has an advantage in terms of transmissibility, it’s just a matter of fact, said Dr. Wafaa Al-Sadr, director of ICAP at Columbia University and professor of epidemiology and medicine at Columbia Mailman School of Public Health in New York City. of time.”
Vaccines available in the United States are effective against the delta variant, as well as other circulating variants. The Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech vaccines require two doses, while the Johnson & Johnson vaccines require only one.
Public Health England reported on Monday that two doses of the Pfizer vaccine are very effective – 96 percent – in preventing alternative hospitalizations. However, the UK is experiencing a rapid spread of the delta, which has prompted Prime Minister Boris Johnson to delay reopening the country for a month, until July 19.
Because the delta variant is able to spread from person to person easily, experts say those who haven’t gotten vaccinated remain particularly at risk.
“This is where you are most likely to have groups of transmissions,” Sadr said.
“This is the most dangerous phase of a pandemic for people who are not immune,” said Dr. Gregory Poland, director of the Vaccine Research Group at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota.
As of Tuesday, more than 54 percent of adults in the United States had been fully vaccinated, and nearly 65 percent had received at least one dose.
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