The CDC Says The Delta Variant Has Changed The War Against COVID-19

https://www.npr.org/2021/07/29/ [login to see] /a-cdc-internal-report-says-the-delta-variant-is-more-transmissible-than-a-cold
An internal slide presentation from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention dated Thursday gives new details on how dangerous the delta variant really is.

One chart shows that it could be as contagious as chickenpox, which is one of the more transmissible viruses out there. It spreads more easily than the common cold, the 1918 flu and smallpox.

The document was first obtained by The Washington Post.

It also says that in addition to being more contagious, the delta variant likely increases the risk of severe disease and hospitalization, compared with the original strain.

A summary slide says that because of the delta variant, the agency should "acknowledge that the war has changed." It also recommends that the agency ramp up communications so the public will understand that vaccines still greatly reduce the risk of death and severe disease.

While most new infections are still occurring among unvaccinated people, the CDC estimates that 35,000 fully vaccinated Americans – out of more than 162 million — may get infected with the coronavirus every week.