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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region Forums'Goldilocks virus': Delta vanquishes all variant rivals as scientists race to understand its tricks
Since late last year, the country has been overrun by a succession of coronavirus variants, each with its own suite of mutations conferring slightly different viral traits. For much of this year, the alpha variant officially known as B.1.1.7 and first seen in the United Kingdom looked like the clear winner, accounting for the majority of cases by April. In second place was iota, B.1.526, first seen in New York City. A few others made the rogues gallery of variants: gamma, beta, epsilon.
Then came delta B.1.617.2. It had spread rapidly in India, but in the United States, it sat there for months, doing little as the alpha advanced. As recently as May 8, delta caused only about 1 percent of new infections nationally.
Today, it has nearly wiped out all of its rivals. The coronavirus pandemic in America has become a delta pandemic. By the end of July, it accounted for 93.4 percent of new infections, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The speed with which it dominated the pandemic has left scientists nervous about what the virus will do next. The variant battles of 2021 are part of a longer war, one that is far from over.
Delta is sending thousands of people into hospitals every day and has knocked the Biden administration back on its heels. In a few short weeks, the delta variant changed the calculations for what it will take to end the pandemic.
More at:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/delta-variant-most-prevalent/2021/08/08/d1017f0e-f558-11eb-9068-bf463c8c74de_story.html
Mister Ed
(5,942 posts)Which, I guess, was the plan
PortTack
(32,787 posts)Instead of being knocked back on their hells, What I see is the Biden administration going full force into the wind fighting the delta variant...nothing held back
Rhiannon12866
(205,765 posts)Strelnikov_
(7,772 posts)Vaccination?
Only 'calculations' changed were those of GOP pols racing to out-Trump each other.