Tracking the COVID-19 pandemic: Delta variant now makes up more than half of US cases

Need for more mental health services in Iowa exposed by pandemic  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  TRACKING THE COVID-19 VACCINE Jul 07, 2021 The delta variant, a more transmissible and possibly more dangerous strain of coronavirus, now makes up more than half of all new U.S. infections in the country, according to estimates from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Delta accounts for 51.7% of new infections in the U.S., according to the CDC. The alpha variant, which has dominated for months, now accounts for 28.7% of cases, the CDC said. “If ever there was a reason to get vaccinated, this is it,” Dr. Anthony Fauci told CNN on Tuesday. The variant poses a “significant threat,” to unvaccinated people, Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said. The variant is not only more transmissible, it can also cause more severe disease, Fauci said. And people in areas where the vaccination rate is low are especially at risk, health officials say. “The more unvaccinated people there are, the more opportunities for the virus to multiply,” said Dr. William Schaffner, a professor in the Division of Infectious Diseases at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. “When it does, it mutates, and it could throw off a variant mutation that is even more serious down the road.” Read more about this story. TOP STORIES Need for more mental health services in Iowa exposed by pandemic » Doctors reaffirms no masks needed for vaccinated individuals » Des Moines tailor sends thousands of masks to India » Iowa day cares struggle with staff shortages as parents return to work » MORE STORIES 'I've got nothing left': Unending grief of COVID-19 deaths causing problems for some » Delta variant now makes up more than half of coronavirus cases in US, CDC says » Biden predicts US to reach 160 million fully vaccinated Americans by the end of the week » Expert says some parts of the US could become 'breeding grounds' for more COVID-19 variants » MANAGE YOUR ACCOUNT If you'd like to receive some of our other email newsletters, you can tap or click the links below: Be among the first to receive National Breaking News or Local Breaking News as stories break. Catch up on the day's big stories with our Morning Headlines and Afternoon Digest newsletters. Receive our Daily Forecasts or get Severe Weather Alerts sent straight to your email inbox. Manage your email newsletter subscriptions » For the very latest information, download our free apps To ensure email delivery, add newsletters@e.kcci.com to your address book or safe senders list © 2021 Hearst Television Inc. 300 W 57th Street, New York NY 10019 Privacy Notice | Terms of Use | Unsubscribe