The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reclassified the Delta variant as one of concern, underscoring how much more prevalent the B.1.617.2 variant first identified in India is becoming in the U.S. The variant was previously considered a variant of interest, a less concerning categorization; other variants of concern are the B.1.1.7 or Alpha, the B.1.351 or Beta, the P.1 or Gamma, and two others. The Delta variant made up less than 5% of cases in each state, as of May 22, which is the most recent data available on the CDC’s website. However, Dr. Anthony Fauci, chief medical advisor to President Joe Biden, earlier this month said this variant seems to be more transmissible than the Alpha variant and may carry a higher risk of getting sicker and ending up in the hospital if someone gets infected with this variant.
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