Delta variant causes severe illness, can be spread as quickly as chickenpox: Reports

Quoting internal documents from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the data shows fully vaccinated people might spread the variant at the same speed as unvaccinated people.

Various US media reports stated that the Delta variant might cause more severe illness than all other known versions of the virus and spread as quickly as chickenpox. Quoting internal documents from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the data shows fully vaccinated people might spread the variant at the same speed as unvaccinated people.

Dr Rochelle P Walensky, the director of the CDC, said that vaccinated people carry as much virus in the body as unvaccinated people, and the new variant may spread readily. 
Speaking to the media, the director said the Delta variant 'is one of the most transmissible viruses we know about'. She said everyone should wear masks all the time as this measure will get the spread of the virus under control.

As per the CDC reports, the Delta variant is transmissible as much as the viruses that cause MERS, SARS, Ebola, common cold, and chickenpox. The Delta variant -- known initially as B.1.617.2 -- might cause more severe disease, and the next step is to acknowledge and fight this new strain.

According to media reports, the agency is expected to publish additional data on the new strain. As per the data collected by the agency, there are approximately 35,000 symptomatic infections per week among 162 million. However, the CDC does not track all mild or symptomatic infections. The document further stated that vaccines prevent more than 90 per cent of severe diseases but are less effective at preventing the infection.