Delta is rapidly spreading and appears to be more contagious and more severe than earlier versions of the virus.” “In fact, because of the Delta variant, COVID-19 cases are no longer falling. Now, Delta is proving to be around 50% more infectious than Alpha, so it is definitely something to be concerned about,” Dr. “The Alpha variant was the predominant strain last year, which was 50% more infectious than the Wuhan strain. Since spreading to the U.S., this strain is now present in all 50 states and accounts for most of all COVID-19 hospitalizations to date. Johnson, the COVID-19 Delta variant originated in India. The Delta Variant Appears to be More ContagiousĪccording to Dr. To learn more about the recent Delta variant, we spoke with Marc Johnson, MD, professor of medicine in the Department of Infectious Disease at Atrium Health, to share how this strain may affect you and your community. While we originally saw the Wuhan strain in the United States, we have also seen the Alpha strain and are now experiencing an influx of Delta strain cases. When a mutation changes how the virus behaves – for example, making it more contagious – the new version is known as a variant or strain. All viruses mutate (or change) over time, and COVID-19 is no exception.

Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, multiple variants of the virus have emerged.

What is the delta variant