Delta variant of COVID-19 'concerning' as spread of infection rising rapidly, says Fauci

As the world continues to battle against the pandemic, White House chief medical adviser Anthony Fauci on Wednesday said that the high contagious Delta variant of COVID-19 is the greatest threat to the United State's attempt to eradicate Coronavirus. While speaking at a broadcast interview, the head of the National Institutes o Allergy and iNfectious Diseases said that he is quite concerned about the Delta variant in the US. 

Dr Anthony Fauci on Delta variant of COVID

Dr Fauci said, "The Delta strain can spread much more efficiently and cause more severe disease. It has the capability of spreading much more efficiently from person to person. It can also cause more severe disease. So there are two things about it that are troublesome."

Remarking that the good news is that COVID-19 vaccines have shown to be very effective against the strain, Dr Fauci urged people to get vaccinated. He said, "The good news about this is that the vaccines that are used in this country do very well against the Delta variant." Informing that the people, who are unvaccinated are at significant risk of a virus that spreads so efficiently he urged people to protect themselves. "We are asking people, almost pleading with people, if you are not vaccinated, please get vaccinated," the COVID-19 exported added. 

The Delta variant, first identified in India, has also been identified in at least 85 countries. It now accounts for one in five infections in the US. According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the 'variant of concern' - B.1.617.2 - accounts for more than one-fourth of the total active COVID-19 cases in the country and has reached nearly every state. The US has administered at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine to over 53 per cent of its population and aims to achieve herd immunity through vaccination as soon as possible.

On Wednesday White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki said that the United States is on track to have 70 per cent vaccinated in the US "in a couple of weeks," Psaki's comments come as the White House acknowledged it's likely to fall short of its goal of administering at least one dose of vaccine to 70 per cent of American adults by July 4. More than 70 per cent of Americans 30 and older, however, have received at least one dose. Psaki stressed that the Delta variant is "is not discriminating by age".

"Vaccines approved in the US are effective for the Delta variant but if you're not vaccinated you're not safe or protected. We know that our vaccines that have been approved in the United States are effective in protecting Americans from the Delta variant. It's important for people to understand that. So if you have been vaccinated, the message we're conveying is: You're safe," Psaki had told reporters.

The Pfizer-BioNTech shot showed to be 88 per cent effective against symptomatic disease and 96 per cent effective against hospitalization. Trends clearly underscore that the Delta Variant is surging almost 50 per cent of all COVID19. As a result, the question of mask-wearing has come back.

Los Angeles County health officials recommend that even fully vaccinated people should continue to wear masks indoors in public as a precaution due to the rise of the highly transmissible Delta variant of the virus. Angeles County now "strongly recommends" everyone, including those fully vaccinated, to wear masks indoors to curb the variant, especially when "you don't know everyone's vaccination status," the county said in its statement. The World Health Organization (WHO) released similar recommendations earlier this week, advising everyone, regardless of vaccination status, to continue wearing masks.

(Image: PTI, Geralt, Pixabay)