The delta variant of the coronavirus now accounts for nearly 10% of new cases in the US, the CDC says.
The change in classification"is based on mounting evidence that the Delta variant spreads more easily and causes more severe cases when compared to other variants, including B.1.1.7 ," the CDC said in a statement to NBC News. The alpha variant was first detected in the United Kingdom, and in April, itData for the two-week period ending June 5 predicts that the delta variant accounts for 9.9 percent of cases in the U.S., the CDC said.
Experts who track viral activity weren't surprised by the increase in the proportion of delta cases in the U.S. "Because [delta] has an advantage in terms of transmissibility, it takes over," said Dr. Wafaa El-Sadr, director of ICAP at Columbia University and professor of epidemiology and medicine at Columbia Mailman School of Public Health in New York City."It's just a matter of time."
The vaccines available in the U.S. are effective against the delta variant, as well as other circulating variants. Two doses are required for the Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech vaccines, while the Johnson & Johnson vaccine requires just one.
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