After a dramatic jump in just the last few weeks, the Delta variant is now responsible for 83 percent of new cases in the United States. This, according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky, who testified along with Dr. Anthony Fauci in front of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee Tuesday morning. Video of their testimony can be found in the video above.
The 83 percent figure is compared to 50 percent, which was recorded the week of July 3. “In some parts of the country, the percentage is even higher, particularly in areas of low vaccination rates,” Dr. Walensky said.
According to Dr. Fauci, the variant has now been detected in at least 90 countries throughout the world. “The reason it’s so formidable is the fact that it has the capability of transmitting efficiently from human to human in an extraordinary manner well beyond any of the other variants that we’ve experienced up to now, which has led to its becoming the dominant variant in this country,” Dr. Fauci said.
He went on to reemphasize the effectiveness of the vaccine in slowing the spread of the variant. “Our vaccines that we’re using in this country are very effective against this variant, particularly, I point out, to the situation regarding advanced disease leading to hospitalizations and deaths where it’s still well in the 90% of effectiveness,” Dr. Fauci said.
Also at the hearing, Dr. Walensky addressed the upcoming school year and how schools can best keep their students and staff safe. “We continue to recommend that schools implement layered prevention strategies to protect those who are not fully vaccinated and encourage vaccination for those who are eligible. Masks continue to be a critical part of these layered prevention strategies,” Dr. Walensky said. “Working together, school administrators and public health workers can carefully consider community transmission rates, local vaccine coverage and occurrence of outbreaks when deciding what strategies are needed to help prevent the spread of COVID-19 and safeguard in-person education.”
