If someone in the United States is diagnosed with COVID-19 right now, it's nearly probably due to the Delta variation.
According to the latest data from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the highly transmissible variant, which caused crippling outbreaks in India and the United Kingdom this spring and fueled case spikes in the United States this summer, is now responsible for over 99 percent of all cases tracked in the country.
"It's not unexpected, because it's more transmissible, but it is also a strong reminder that we need to have continuous vigilance," Dr. Saskia Popescu, an epidemiologist and assistant professor at George Mason University in Virginia, told The New York Times.
According to the CDC's nationwide genomic surveillance efforts, the Delta variation was responsible for a little more than 25% of COVID-19 cases in June.
A specific Delta lineage is now responsible for 99.4 percent of the variations of concern. Other Delta lineages account for significantly lower percentages of the total (0.2 percent and 0.1 percent).
COVID-19, according to Popescu, is still a major public health hazard. She recommended that people get immunized and use masks.
A health worker prepares a dose of the Pfizer-BioNtech COVID-19 coronavirus vaccine at the Clalit Health Services in the Palestinian neighbourhood of Beit Hanina, in the Israeli-annexed east Jerusalem on August 29, 2021. - Israel widened access to a third coronavirus vaccine jab to anyone aged 12 and up, with Prime Minister Naftali Bennett insisting it was an effective way to contain an infection surge. (Photo by AHMAD GHARABLI / AFP) (Photo by AHMAD GHARABLI/AFP via Getty Images)
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Popescu claims that transmission may occur with only a small amount of exposure. That implies that moments when you are not wearing a mask, such as when you are out and about with others, become considerably more dangerous, she noted.
COVID-19 Variant to Blame For Increase in Hospitalization Rate
Despite the availability of vaccinations, which some Americans have opposed, the United States has experienced an increase in hospitalizations. The Delta variant is to blame for the rise in hospitalizations, reports claim.
The nation's top infectious disease expert, Dr. Anthony S. Fauci, told The New York Times on Sept. 9 that the Delta variety is more easily transmissible among everyone, and that the country is seeing more youngsters in the hospital now.
In the spring and summer of this year, the variation led caseloads to spike in the United Kingdom and India, and outbreaks reappeared in both countries after cases appeared to be on the decline. The Delta variant has been exploiting the number of persons who have refused COVID-19 vaccines throughout the summer.
Best Life (via Yahoo! News) added that the Delta-fueled epidemics in areas with poor vaccination rates may have reached their apex. Others, however, were more cautious, pointing out that when the seasons changed, a fresh wave of illnesses may emerge in some places as children returned to school.
Fortunately, Best Life mentioned that vaccinations are still very effective in avoiding severe illness or death in those who have received all of the recommended dosages. However, the spread of the variation has resulted in a large increase in hospitalizations across the country, particularly among a segment of the population that was previously unaffected by the virus.
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