Since the Delta strain of the Sars-CoV-2 virus entered the U.S, it has slowly spread among many states of the country. Health authorities and the CDC believe that this highly transmissible variant is responsible for more than 58% of accounted infections. Why has the situation escalated?
The vaccination campaign is not going on as planned
Currently, the U.S vaccination campaign has slowed down, and statistics are better in some states than others. There have been several variants of the virus circulating around the globe, including the Delta. This strain originated in India has been characterized as dangerous and highly transmissible. Data also showed that COVID-19 vaccine could be less efficient against this variant, and some countries are considering a booster shot of the Pfizer vaccine. The FDA and the CDC decided that those vaccinated with the BionTech vaccine do not need a third shot for now. In the U.S, the statistics show that around 48.5% of the population got vaccinated, and this means that herd immunity has not been reached. Scientists and health officials believe that herd immunity can be reached only if approx. 80% or more of a country’s population is vaccinated.
Cases in the U.S have increased
Data from John Hopkins, published in a recent article, shows that the number of new infections has increased in all states, and there are more hospitalizations than in previous weeks. The situation is not ideal in many states, and officials have already asked people to get vaccinated and wear masks indoors, even if fully vaccinated. The CDC predicts a rise in hospitalization numbers due to the Delta variant in community outbreaks. More than 111 countries have had infections with the delta strain of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, and epidemiologists predict it will soon become the dominant strain worldwide. If the number of cases continues to grow, government officials might impose new restrictions and new recommendations.
