Where is the Delta variant spreading in the U.S.?
The highly infectious Delta variant of COVID-19 has spread to the U.S. and is slowly becoming the dominant strain, causing 80% of new COVID-19 cases in four states with 96% of them in Missouri. The variant accounts for more than 80% of new COVID-19 infections in Arkansas, Connecticut, Kansas and Missouri, according to data put together from Scripps Researchs Outbreak.info. The data is supported by the National Institute for Allergy and Infectious Diseases and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). According to the data, more than 96% of the coronavirus cases in Missouri alone are caused by the Delta variant  the highest percentage out of all 50 states. What these four states have in common is that they have vaccination rates below 40%. The national vaccination average is 47.4%, according to the CDC. The Delta variant, also known by its scientific name as B.1.617.2, was a strain of the coronavirus first identified in October in Maharashtra, India. The strain was first named the Delta variant by the World Health Organization after the global health agency implemented a naming system based on Greek letters this month. Although it is just one out of many variants that are spreading around during the pandemic, World Health Organization officials have called it a variant of concern.  The Delta variant also has split into several sub-variants, including one that is widespread in the United Kingdom. It is also 60% more infectious than the initial strain of the coronavirus. The Delta variant is spreading to areas of the U.S. with low rates of vaccination. Of the 50 states, Missouri and Arkansas have the highest number of new COVID-19 infections in the U.S., according to Covid Act Nows U.S. COVID risk and vaccine tracker, which relies mostly on CDC data. Missouri and Arkansas also have some of the lowest number of vaccination rates in the country, with 32% in Arkansas, and 36% in Missouri respectively, according to data from the Johns Hopkins University. But the relationship between vaccination rates, Delta prevalence, and infections does not always go hand-in-hand. Connecticut has very low infection rates, yet the state also has a high proportion of Delta variant infections. If you are fully vaccinated, your chances of getting the Delta variant strain of COVID-19 are significantly decreased. According to The Washington Post, which cited data from the United Kingdom, nearly all serious cases in the country are among the unvaccinated or partially vaccinated. According to medical experts such as former head of the Food and Drug Administration Dr. Scott Gottlieb, all the COVID-19 vaccines work against the Delta variant. The mRNA vaccine seems to be highly effective, two doses of that vaccine against this variant. The viral vector vaccines from J&J (Johnson & Johnson) and AstraZeneca also appear to be effective, about 60% effective. The mRNA vaccines are about 88% effective, Gottlieb said, referring to the Moderna and Pfizer/BioNTech vaccines. Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com  Katherine Rodriguez can be reached at krodriguez@njadvancemedia.com. Tell us at nj.com/tips.