COMPLIANCE ALERT: Understanding the COVID-19 Delta Variant

The United States is experiencing a spike in COVID-19 cases, specifically in areas with low vaccination rates. A major reason for this spike is an emerging variant known as Delta, which was first seen in India in December 2020. The variant has quickly moved across the globe, and it is now circulating in the United States as the dominant variant, accounting for 51.7% of COVID-19 cases, according to recent data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

This article discusses what Delta is, how it differs from the original COVID-19 variant and what it means for vaccinations.

What Is the Delta Variant?

As an increasingly dominant variant of the coronavirus, Delta has spread to at least 100 countries. Here’s what health experts have discovered about Delta:

• Delta is about 40% to 60% more contagious and transmissible than the other virus variants, according to U.K. pandemic experts.
• Unvaccinated people are at risk. Based on a U.K. study, unvaccinated children and adults under 50 years were 2.5 times more likely to become infected with Delta than other variants.
• Delta could lead to hyperlocal outbreaks in areas with low vaccination rates that are surrounded by highly vaccinated areas.

There is still much to learn about Delta, so experts continue to study the variant in real-world conditions —specifically in the United States.