CALIFORNIA – US health officials grew more concerned as California, and seven other states reported the first case of the Delta plus variant.
According to the data from health officials, the Delta variant could spread faster than the original variant. However, health officials did not state anything about the severity of the variant compared to the original one.
Including California, the eight states that reported cases of the mutated variant are Florida, Maryland, Nevada, North Carolina, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Washington.
Health officials are keeping a close eye on any potential infections to prevent the COVID-19 cases from increasing due to this mutation. According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, less than 0.05% contracted the new mutation.
Dr. Summer Galloway told CBS news that the teams tasked to study the mutation are “reviewing the genetic sequence data and looking for blips.”
Furthermore, different doctors are preparing tests to determine if the variant can evade antibodies people received from the COVID-19 vaccines.
According to Dr. Galloway, she does not believe that the mutation could hinder the effects of the COVID-19 vaccines.
According to the CDC, at least 100% of cases in the United States comprise the delta variant. However, other countries reported lesser numbers, claiming the variant’s lesser impact in that country.
More importantly, the biggest fears fall upon the hospitals in the possible increase of COVID-19 patients due to the mutated variant.
