Delta variant is forcing officials to rethink Covid-19 measures, even for the vaccinated – By Madeline Holcombe (CNN) / June 29 2021
(CNN)The more dangerous and more transmissible Delta variant has spread to nearly every state in the US, feeding health experts’ concern over potential Covid-19 spikes in the fall.
The variant was first identified in India and is now considered a variant of concern by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, meaning scientists believe it can spread more easily or cause more severe disease.
The Delta variant now accounts for about 1 in every 5 new coronavirus infections in the US, the CDC has said. And with more than half of the population still not fully vaccinated, according to the CDC, health experts and officials worry that regions with low amounts of virus protection could see surges in the fall and winter.
Former FDA commissioner Scott Gottlieb told CBS that in terms of Delta spread, the US is about a month or two behind the UK — a country that has been dealing with high numbers of cases despite relatively high vaccination rates. For those such countries, the World Health Organization advised last week that even the fully vaccinated should continue to wear masks.
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