“Our fight against this virus is not over,” President Biden remarked this week in light of the new delta variant that is spreading in certain parts of the U.S.
As of Monday, 67 percent of American adults had received at least one dose of the vaccine. But there is still a ways to go.
How concerned should we be about this new delta variant?
The delta variant now makes up 25 percent of coronavirus cases in the U.S., with Arkansas, Missouri, Nevada, and Florida housing most of those cases
In the UK, the delta variant accounts for nearly 100 percent of current cases.
The delta variant is currently surging in Kansas, Missouri, Arkansas, and Connecticut, all of which have lower vaccination rates than the rest of the nation. These “regional surges” in the virus could be the cause for more alarm than we think if they continue to happen.
Local messengers are needed to get local communities in on getting the vaccine. Biden stated that “it sounds corny but it’s the patriotic thing to do.”
The delta variant, a mutation of the original COVID-19 strain that was originally found in India and later in the UK, is “hypertransmissible,” a.k.a. highly contagious. Vaccines are effective at preventing hospitalizations and severe infections, but not always at preventing mild infections, therefore it’s important to still remain careful if you’re not vaccinated.
Unvaccinated people are at risk, and those who are not vaccinated are urged to get a vaccine. To know more, join our newsletter and get the latest news about Medicare and health.
