As communities across America continue to lift Covid restrictions, a new strain continues to find its footing.
“Right now, of all the Covid circulating nationally, 21% of it is the ‘Delta’ or the ‘India’ variant. And that’s the percentage that the CDC believes is doubling every two weeks,” says Louisiana State Health Officer Dr.
Joe Kanter.
Kanter says this newer strain is proving even more contagious than its previous incarnation.
“What we know so far is that it is more transmissible than the other variants that are circulating. Perhaps 60%, but that’s a ball-park. It seems to be more virulent, meaning it’s more likely to make people sick, more likely to require hospitalizations of people,” Kanter told WWL Radio New Orleans host Newell Normand.
There is good news though for the large majority of fully-vaccinated Americans.
“The two mRNA vaccines – the Pfizer vaccine and the Moderna vaccine – are a very good match if you get both doses, if you complete the series,” Kanter said. “Excellent high-80s, low-90s percent coverage if you complete the series.”
However, people who stopped after just one dose do not have nearly as firm of a barrier against the Delta strain. “If you just get the first dose and you don’t get anything else, the protection against this variant is just 33%,” Kanter said.
Kanter says they expect to get data on the effectiveness of the Johnson and Johnson vaccine against the Delta strain sometime next week.