"Forget Omicron... Overwhelming Majority of Confirmed Cases Are Delta Variant, Warn US and UK Experts"

A researcher at Boston University in the US is analyzing a COVID-19 sample.
[Photo by AP News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Seoyoung Kwon] Amid growing concerns about the new COVID-19 variant Omicron, experts in the United States and the United Kingdom have warned that the dominant Delta variant remains the greatest threat.

On the 3rd (local time), Rochelle Walensky, director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), stated at a press conference, "Although the news is currently focused on the Omicron variant, 99.9% of COVID-19 patients in the U.S. are infected with the Delta variant." Over the past week, the U.S. has averaged 86,400 new COVID-19 cases daily, with 6,300 hospitalizations and 860 deaths, the majority of which are due to Delta variant infections.

Meanwhile, about 20 Omicron variant cases have been confirmed in nine states including California and Hawaii. Walensky emphasized, "Since Delta variant infections continue across the U.S., it is important to get vaccinated or receive a booster shot."

Earlier, on the 2nd, the Washington Post (WP) reported that U.S. health officials explained that the dominant variant in the U.S. is Delta, not Omicron, despite the spread of Omicron-related fears. A representative from St. Cloud Hospital in Minnesota said, "Hospital beds have been full for seven weeks due to a surge in COVID-19 patients, and sometimes we have to turn away patients up to 20 times a day due to lack of beds," adding, "We must not forget that the overwhelming majority of COVID-19 infections are caused by the Delta variant."

COVID-19 Vaccination.
Photo by Yonhap News

Judy Persichilli, New Jersey's Health Commissioner, stated during a briefing on the 29th of last month, "Delta is still driving the rise in hospitalizations in New Jersey," and urged, "Do not panic over the still poorly understood Omicron variant; instead, actively participate in controlling the current situation (Delta) we face." Eric Topol, director of the Scripps Research Institute, a U.S. medical research institution, warned, "Forget about Omicron for now. We have not yet properly managed the Delta variant."

The UK's Office for National Statistics (ONS) also explained that the increase in COVID-19 infections in the country is due to the dominant Delta variant. Between the 21st and 27th of last month, the infection rate in the UK was about 1 in 60 people, and genomic sequencing showed that 99% of infections were caused by the Delta variant. As of the 3rd, the UK reported 50,584 confirmed COVID-19 cases, exceeding 50,000 for two consecutive days, with about 130 confirmed Omicron cases.

Soumya Swaminathan, Chief Scientist at the World Health Organization (WHO), said, "While Omicron may replace Delta as the dominant variant, currently there are many Delta infections, especially among children." Additionally, Ravi Gupta, Professor of Clinical Microbiology at the University of Cambridge, interpreted, "Delta will continue to circulate among groups not vaccinated, such as young children."