| The more dangerous and more transmissible delta variant has spread to nearly every state in the U.S., feeding health experts’ concern over potential COVID-19 spikes in the fall.
The variant was first identified in India and is now considered a variant of concern by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, meaning scientists believe it can spread more easily or cause more severe disease.
The delta variant now accounts for about 1 in every 5 new coronavirus infections in the U.S., the CDC has said. And with more than half of the population still not fully vaccinated, according to the CDC, health experts and officials worry that regions with low amounts of virus protection could see surges in the fall and winter.
Already in Los Angeles County, the pace of this variant’s spread has motivated officials to reinstate mask guidance for public indoor spaces, regardless of vaccination status.
Calling it a “precautionary measure,” the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health issued the voluntary mask guidance Monday, saying it was necessary until health officials can “better understand how and to who the Delta variant is spreading.”
Experts have said that evidence points to vaccines like those from Moderna and Pfizer/BioNTech providing high amounts of protection against the variant, but LA Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer said it is not clear what the future of the variant will be as it becomes more prevalent.
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