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The delta variant is already the most dominant strain of the virus in some U.S. states, and that’s putting some Americans easing back into “normal” life on edge.
This variant, which was first identified in India in December, now makes up nearly half of COVID-19 cases in some regions and one-quarter of cases in the U.S., based on virus samples that have been sequenced, according to remarks made Thursday by Dr. Rochelle Walensky, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Delta’s takeover in the U.S. is inevitable, but it’s still unknown how the more transmissible strain will impact a country with vaccination rates that fluctuate wildly depending on the region.
About 47% of people in the U.S. are fully vaccinated, but at least 1,000 counties, primarily in southeastern and midwestern U.S. states, have vaccination rates below 30%.
“In some of these areas we are already seeing increasing rates of disease,” Walensky said.