CDC Director: "Delta Variant Will Become Dominant" ... Biden Also Expresses Concern

Delta Variant Raises Concerns Over Potential Vaccine Efficacy Reduction
Causes Over 10,000 New COVID-19 Infections Daily in the UK

Rochelle Walensky, CDC Director [Photo by EPA Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy New York=Correspondent Baek Jong-min] U.S. health authorities have expressed concern over the spread of the India-origin variant coronavirus known as the 'Delta variant.' U.S. President Joe Biden has also voiced concerns about the Delta variant, increasing vigilance in the United States.

Rochelle Walensky, Director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), responded on the 18th (local time) to the question, "Do you think the Delta variant, found in at least 41 states so far, will become the dominant strain in the U.S.?" by saying, "It probably will."

Director Walensky explained, "It (the Delta variant) is more contagious than the Alpha variant (the UK-origin variant)," adding, "We saw the Alpha variant quickly become the dominant strain within a month or two. I expect the same will happen with the Delta variant."

She expressed CDC's concern that the Delta variant might mutate again to a stage that could evade the current COVID-19 vaccines and encouraged vaccination.

President Biden also celebrated the administration of 300 million doses on the 150th day of his inauguration and emphasized vaccination, stating that the Delta variant is more deadly to those who are unvaccinated.

He warned, "The Delta variant could cause more deaths in areas where people are not vaccinated."

The Delta variant is known to be about 60% more contagious than the Alpha variant. Both the World Health Organization (WHO) and CDC have designated this variant as a 'variant of concern.'

First identified in India in October last year, the Delta variant has now spread to more than 80 countries.

Despite the UK having an 80% first-dose vaccination rate among adults, concerns are rising that a third wave has begun as daily confirmed cases exceed 10,000 due to the Delta variant.