The Delta variant is the fastest, fittest and most formidable version of the coronavirus that causes COVID-19 the world has encountered, and it is upending assumptions about the disease even as nations loosen restrictions and open their economies, according to virologists and epidemiologists.
Vaccine protection remains very strong against severe disease and hospitalizations caused by any version of the coronavirus, and those most at risk are still the unvaccinated, according to interviews with 10 leading COVID-19 experts.
But evidence is mounting that the Delta variant, first identified in India, is capable of infecting fully vaccinated people at a greater rate than previous versions, and concerns have been raised that they may even spread the virus, these experts said.
Oh Great…
White House: US to maintain Covid foreign travel restrictions
The US does not intend to lift Covid-19 travel restrictions for non-Americans, a senior White House official has said.
The decision comes amid pressure from airlines and tourism industry lobbyists to lift the sweeping ban before the end of the summer travel season.
The official said the decision was due to a rise in infections, the Delta variant’s transmissibility and a recent advisory against travel to the UK.
Cases in the US continue to rise, particularly among the non-vaccinated.
