Delta variant viral load 1,000 times higher than original coronavirus strain
By Austin Williams
What to know about the delta variant
Experts say the delta variant spreads more easily because of mutations that make it better at latching onto cells in our bodies.
BEIJING - The fast-spreading delta variant of the novel coronavirus has been gaining traction worldwide since it was first detected in India, and now researchers may have an idea of why: Its viral load is 1,000 times higher than the original strain of the virus.
The delta variant is a mutated version of the novel coronavirus that spreads more easily than other strains. It now accounts for an estimated 83% of COVID-19 cases in the United States as it continues to surge largely among unvaccinated populations, officials said.
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Study: J&J COVID-19 vaccine significantly less effective against delta variant
By Austin Williams
CDC director says COVID-19 is becoming ‘pandemic of the unvaccinated’
During a White House briefing, CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky said cases in the U.S. were up about 70% over the last week, hospital admissions were up 36% and deaths rose by 26%.
A study published on July 19 on the medical journal website BioRxiv found that the single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine was significantly less effective against the highly transmissible delta and lambda variants compared with two-dose vaccines from Pfizer and Moderna.
Study authors found that while the two-dose vaccines were 94-95% effective in preventing COVID-19, the J&J vaccine had only 66.9% efficacy in preventing moderate to severe disease.