A highly contagious variant of the novel coronavirus that was initially identified in India now accounts for about 58 percent of all COVID-19 cases in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Data updated by the CDC on Tuesday evening shows the so-called delta variant was estimated to be responsible for 57.6 percent of newly confirmed cases nationwide from June 20 through July 3. The proportion was estimated at just 31.1 percent for the two weeks prior.
In late May, the delta variant was estimated to account for approximately 3 percent of new cases in the U.S, according to CDC data.
The delta variant, which was identified in India in October, is expected to soon be the dominant coronavirus variant circulating worldwide, according to the World Health Organization. Last week marked the fourth consecutive week that the number of newly confirmed COVID-19 cases has increased globally.
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Gebreyesus said deaths are also on the rise again after 10 weeks of decline.
The delta variant has shown to be particularly dangerous to those who are unvaccinated or partially vaccinated against COVID-19, and preliminary data indicates it may increase the risk of hospitalization.
More than 184 million people in the U.S. have received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, including over 159 million — 48.1 percent of the population — who are fully vaccinated, according to CDC data.
Source-ABC
