The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) director said Thursday that the Delta variant is one of the most infectious respiratory diseases ever seen by scientists, according to CNBC.
The Delta variant, which was first identified in India, is highly contagious because people infected with the strain can carry up to 1,000 times more virus in their nasal passages than those who are infected with the original strain.
CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky told reporters said, “The delta variant is more aggressive and much more transmissible than previously circulating strains. It is one of the most infectious respiratory viruses we know of, and that I have seen in my 20-year career.”
The Delta variant has spread quickly through the U.S., which has now accounted for more than 83% of cases in the U.S., up from 50% the week of July 3, per CNBC.
The agency said the seven-day average of new cases is up about 53% from last week, currently at 37,674 new cases per day.
Hospitalizations have increased up to 32% from last week at about 3,500 a day and the mortality rate has increased by 19% in the same time frame to about 240 a day.
Dr. Walensky said, “This virus has no incentive to let up, and it remains in search of the next vulnerable person to infect.”
Overall, COVID is ripping through U.S. counties probably due to low vaccination rates. Counties with high vaccination rates have seen lower rates of new cases.
Florida, Texas, and Missouri have accounted for 40% of all new cases due to low vaccination rates, according to White House COVID czar Jeff Zients. Florida alone has accounted for at least 1 in 5 of all new cases for the second week in a row.
Nearly 97% of people admitted with COVID symptoms are unvaccinated, while more than 99% of all deaths have been among the unvaccinated.
Dr. Walensky said, “We are at yet another pivotal moment in this pandemic, with cases rising again and some hospitals reaching their capacity in some areas, we need to come together as one nation.” The article was published on CNBC.
