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In a White House press briefing on Thursday, CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky said of the dangerous Covid strain that the delta variant’s “rapid rise is troubling.” According to data released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Wednesday, the more transmissible delta variant of the coronavirus is now the most prevalent strain in the United States, accounting for more than half of all cases. Pfizer and BioNTech announced Thursday that they are developing a booster shot to target the delta variant. The approved Covid vaccines appear to be effective in preventing the delta variant’s severe disease, hospitalization, and death. But pockets of the country remain unvaccinated and therefore at risk. Delta’s speed and high transmissibility makes it able to “pick off the more vulnerable more efficiently than previous variants,” Dr. Mike Ryan, executive director of the WHO’s health emergencies program, said during a news conference on June 21. Getting fully vaccinated is the best way to protect yourself from the delta variant. Here’s some more information about the strain: Delta can still be transmitted by people who have been vaccinated. Dr. Anthony Fauci said during an interview with NBC’s “Meet the Press” on July 4 that a fully vaccinated person could be an asymptomatic carrier of Covid and potentially transmit the virus, including the more contagious delta variant. “We’re looking at situations where you have vaccinated people who have breakthrough infections,” White House chief medical advisor Dr. Dr. Dr. Dr. Dr. Dr. Dr. Dr. Dr. Dr. Dr. Dr. Dr. Dr. Dr. Dr. Dr. Dr. Dr. Dr. Dr. Dr. Dr. “Specifically, they’re infected despite having been vaccinated.” It could be that there are many more breakthrough cases than are being accounted for, because they tend to be asymptomatic and CDC guidance says vaccinated people don’t have to get tested after exposure. It’s worth noting, however, that infected vaccinated people have significantly lower viral loads in their nasopharynx, according to Fauci. “If the virus level is lower, you can reasonably assume that those individuals are less likely to spread the infection to others,” he explained. Delta is already causing Covid spikes in parts of the U.S. and could cause ‘major outbreaks’ this fall To date, 47.6 percent of the U.S. population is fully vaccinated. But delta is surging in pockets of the country where vaccine rates are concerningly low such as the South and Midwest. In some parts of the Midwest and upper mountain states, delta accounts for 80 percent of Covid cases, Walensky said in the press briefing. Virtually all new Covid deaths and hospitalizations are among unvaccinated people. “With the spread of the more transmissible Delta variant, there will likely continue to be an increase in cases among unvaccinated Americans and communities with low vaccination rates,” White House coronavirus response coordinator Jeff Zients said at a press briefing on Thursday. According to Lawrence Gostin, director of the World Health Organization’s Collaborating Center on National and Global Health Law, “major outbreaks” could occur in the fall, when many people return to work and school. Given the proportion of people who are now vaccinated, a nationwide spike like the one seen in the United States last fall and winter is unlikely, according to Fauci. Delta could reintroduce masks and social segregation. Experts predict that mitigation measures such as wearing masks and setting occupancy limits will be reinstated by the fall in areas where there is a high level of transmission and low vaccination rates. Returning to in-person work, in the end, entails risks that individuals and businesses must navigate. Meanwhile, during the White House briefing, Fauci suggested that some people who have been vaccinated but are “very risk averse” might start wearing a mask now in places where there are surges. “Even if you are vaccinated, you might want to go the extra mile of protection by wearing a mask if you were indoors, in an environment with a high level of infection in the community, and a low level of vaccinations,” he said. The CDC and the White House have stated that safety measures will be decided by individual communities and states based on the level of spread and vaccination in a given community. Delta may have an impact on children’s ability to return to school. In a press conference, Zients stated that the delta variety “poses a special hazard to our young people.” Because Covid vaccinations are not currently approved for children under the age of 12, many school-aged children are at danger of infection. In June, 90 percent of Covid cases in the United Kingdom were due to the delta version, with the delta variant having the highest prevalence among children aged 5 to 12. “Pediatricians are concerned that if [the delta variant] spreads further, it could result in schools closing, sports and camps closing, and all of this having a negative impact on children’s mental health,” Dr. Steven Abelowitz, a board-certified pediatrician and medical director and president of Coastal Kids pediatric medical group, told Parents. Dr. Paul Offit, head of the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia’s Vaccine Education Center, told Yahoo! Finance that he believes masking and social distance will be necessary in schools this autumn and winter. (Unvaccinated children ages two and up should wear masks in public places, according to the CDC.) Now is the time to register: With our weekly email, you’ll learn more about money and your work. Not to be missed: Dr. Fauci: Where might new Covid outbreaks be expected in the United States, and what does this entail for mask use and other restrictions?/nRead More

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