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The COVID-19 pandemic has brought more changes to our daily lives than any other event in living memory. But strangely enough, the very virus that’s responsible for all of this change has also evolved dramatically from its earliest days. As each new strain of the novel coronavirus has brought new challenges, they have also raised new concerns about tackling the next phase of the virus’ spread. And now, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the one common trait among 99% of all new COVID-19 cases in the United States is that they were caused by the Delta variant.
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According to the agency’s latest bimonthly report detailing the sequencing of the virus for the two-week period ending September 11, the B.1.617.2 line of the highly contagious variant is now responsible for 99.4% of COVID cases in the United States, while two other Delta lines accounted for 0.2 and 0.1 percent. The numbers represent a sharp increase from mid-June, when the strain made up just over a quarter of all cases after being first discovered in the United States in April, The New York Times reports.
After causing major epidemics in India and the UK, the infamous variant was largely responsible for a summer wave in the US that saw significant previous progress against the virus erased. “This is not unexpected, because it is more transmissible, but it is also a strong reminder that we must have continuous vigilance”, Saskia Popescu, PhD, epidemiologist and assistant professor at George Mason University, said The temperature.
In particular, the virus has become a source of concern about its ability to cause breakthrough infections in full-fledged vaccinees. Fortunately, studies have shown that injections still seem to be very effective in preventing serious illness or death in those who have received all of the necessary doses. But the increase in the variant has also resulted in a significant increase in hospitalizations nationwide, especially among a portion of the population that was previously less affected by the virus.
“This virus is really good for people who are not vaccinated”, Edith Bracho Sanchez, PhD, associate professor of pediatrics at Columbia University Irving Medical Center, told CNN. “And among those people are children who are not eligible for the vaccine and children and adolescents who are eligible but choose not to receive it.”
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Some experts have predicted that Delta-fueled epidemics in states with low vaccination rates may finally exceed their peak. But others remained cautious, pointing out that a change of seasons could see a new wave of cases increase in some areas as children return to class.
“I really hope I am wrong here, I pray to God that I am wrong … but I fear our schools will become wildfire flash for the virus in the coming weeks,” Michael T. Osterholm, PhD, MPH, epidemiologist and director of the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy (CIDRAP) and the University of Minnesota, said during an episode of his weekly podcast, Osterholm update September 9. “The kids, New York and LA – those will determine where we go,” the epidemiologist warned.
The highly contagious variant has led other experts to reassess their perspectives on the timeline of the pandemic. In a telephone interview with CNBC on September 15, Stephen hoge, president of vaccine maker Moderna, said the Delta variant is “so good at infecting people and replicating itself that it raises the bar on vaccine quality,” adding that “it has actually shown some of the weaknesses who [vaccines] have sooner than you think. “
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Ultimately, experts say the Delta variant is a stark reminder that the pandemic is still far from over and that the latest version of the viral enemy should not be underestimated. “The biggest thing is, ‘Don’t let your guard down. “We need continuous surveillance, genome sequencing, access to testing and public health interventions,” Popescu said. The temperature, adding that masks and vaccinations could go a long way in preventing the spread of the virus. “We have a transmission that occurs with very limited exposure, which means that, for example, the moments without a mask, when you are out and around others, become much riskier.”
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