More severe, spreads as easily as chickenpox: CDC on Delta COVID variant

An internal federal health document arguing that US health officials must ‘acknowledge the war has changed’, as the Delta COVID-19 variant is rampantly spreading across the country, has been obtained by the Washington Post. The report adds that the variant appears to cause more severe illness than earlier variants and spreads as easily as chickenpox.

Also read: Why CDC recommends fully vaccinated citizens to wear masks indoors

US President Joe Biden on Thursday asked every US federal worker to either declare they are fully vaccinated against COVID-19 or wear masks and be tested, as a measure to control the surging Delta variant of the coronavirus. 

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) documents further recommend masks for everyone. As per the Washington Post, the documents appear to be talking points for CDC staff to use in explaining the dangers of the delta variant and “breakthrough″ infections that can occur after vaccination.

As per the document, the CDC knows it must revamp its public messaging to emphasize vaccination as the best defense against the variant. It adds that the Delta variant causes nfections that are more contagious than the common cold, flu, smallpox and Ebola virus. The Delta variant was first found in India. 

Also read: Breakthrough COVID infection: All your questions answered

These revelations were made days after the Director of the CDC Rochelle Walensky spoke to the Times about a new research saying vaccinated people infected with the Delta variant carried tremendous amounts of the virus in the nose and throat.

The Biden administration has asked state and local governments to offer $100 payments for newly vaccinated Americans.