The QC COVID Coalition held a informational meeting on a new strain of coronavirus that has recently emerged in the U.S.
Dr. Louis Katz from the Scott County Health Department took the podium to explain the new Delta strand and how it will affect the fight against COVID-19.
The Delta variant emerged in India back in October 2020, and is associated with devastating surges and deaths since its appearance. It's also known to be more contagious than other forms of the virus, and is likely to become the dominant strain in the U.S. within weeks.
Existing COVID-19 vaccines are still completely effective in preventing severe illness and death, but they do have a slightly lower overall rate of effectiveness against the Delta variant.
Early information seems to indicate the Delta variant is more severe in young people, but more research needs to be done on the topic.
Most importantly, health officials recommend re-establishing many COVID-19 safety procedures to protect the unvaccinated, include mask mandates, social distancing, and travel restrictions.
Katz says the most pressing concern with the Delta variant is how the burden will affect the return to in-person schooling this fall.