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.

How Is This Variant Different?

So far, experts have shared the following general ways that Delta affects people differently than the original COVID-19 variant:

• Delta is more transmissible than other variants.
• A Delta infection can result in higher hospitalization rates for unvaccinated people.
• Cough and loss of smell are less common symptoms of Delta.

What Does This Mean for Vaccinations?

The good news is that COVID-19 vaccines authorized for use in the United States seem to work well against the Delta variant—drastically reducing the likelihood of severe illness, hospitalization, and death for vaccinated individuals.

Download the full PDF here – Understanding The Coronavirus Delta Variant