With The Delta Variant Spreading Fast, Is Time To Mask Up Again?

https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2021/07/17/ [login to see] /delta-variant-is-spreading-fast-and-new-cases-are-rising-is-time-to-mask-up-agai
After declining steeply for six months, coronavirus cases are once again on the rise, thanks to the delta variant. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported Friday that new cases are up by nearly 70% in just a week. Hospitalizations are also up by nearly 36%.

Surges are most pronounced in areas where vaccination rates are low, but there are also an increase in places such as Los Angeles and New York City. And health officials are once again urgently pressing unvaccinated Americans to get the shot.

"This is becoming a pandemic of the unvaccinated," said CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky at a briefing Friday. "If you remain unvaccinated, you are at risk."

But if you're already vaccinated, how worried should you be? Are new precautions called for? Here's what to know about the fast-spreading variant and how to stay safe and protect others.