The COVID-19 Delta variant: What you need to know

This week, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention officially declared the Delta variant, a coronavirus strain first detected in India, “a variant of concern.” This designation is given to variants shown to be more transmissible than the original strain, that can cause more severe disease and potentially reduce the effectiveness of treatments or vaccines.

Yahoo News Medical Contributor Dr. Kavita Patel, a primary care physician in Washington, D.C., who also serves as a health policy fellow at the Brookings Institution, answered some questions about the Delta variant, which some experts have called “the most troubling variant by far.” The Delta variant, also referred to as B.1.6.1.7.2 [and] believed to have originated from India, is one of the most concerning variants … It is more likely to lead to disease, hospitalizations and possibly death.

The Delta variant looks like it might be up to 60 percent more infectious, which is why the CDC really put a bold label forward in calling it a variant of concern. They only do that when they think a variant is concerning enough that it could change the course of a disease or potentially pose a threat to someone who gets it.We're already seeing evidence of the Delta variant in the United States.

You need to get the full doses of those vaccines. For the two dose vaccines — Pfizer and Moderna — the initial studies, especially from Pfizer, show that you really do need not just the first but the second dose as well, to get the full protection. After the first dose the efficacy or the effectiveness against the Delta variant is in the thirties to forties [percent] versus after two doses having effectiveness that's in the nineties.

We're currently at about 54 percent [of the U.S. population] who have received one dose. That’s not high enough. That means that 46 percent of our country is still vulnerable. And now to a variant that could lead to a worse illness, it’s easier to infect, and potentially lead to more hospitalizations, which could translate into more deaths. I think that’s something worth remembering when you go out into a population that’s not vaccinated.

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Europe Opens Up To American Tourists As Infectious Delta Variant Drives New Covid Surge Across RegionI am a London-based reporter for Forbes covering breaking news. Previously, I have worked as a reporter for a specialist legal publication covering big data and as a freelance journalist and policy analyst covering science, tech and health. I have a master’s degree in Biological Natural Sciences and a master’s degree in the History and Philosophy of Science from the University of Cambridge. Follow me on Twitter theroberthart or email me at rhartforbes.com American plagues are coming Europe opening now is idiocy on steroids. Just sit back and watch it all go pear-shaped... BUT - Merkel: 'UK arrivals in ALL of Europe should be quarantined Delta will account for 90% of EU cases late August EU/EEA: 33.9% of adults are fully vaccinated, and 57.1% have had at least one dose. UK: 50% fully vaccinated; 60% had at least one dose
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Delta COVID-19 variant is now in more than 80 countries, WHO saysThe Delta COVID-19 variant, which was first detected in India, has now been reported in more than 80 countries, according to the World Health Organization. I hope someone is plotting the wave crossing borders it’s trajectory so that when a new variant comes countries know how to stop it.
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