Delta is currently the predominant variant of the virus in the United States. According to the CDC, the Delta variant causes more infections and spreads faster than earlier forms of the virus that causes COVID-19. It might cause more severe illness than previous strains in unvaccinated people.
- Vaccines
- Vaccines continue to reduce a person’s risk of contracting the virus that cause COVID-19, including this variant.
- Vaccines continue to be highly effective at preventing hospitalization and death, including against this variant.
- Fully vaccinated people with breakthrough infections from this variant appear to be infectious for a shorter period.
- Slow the Spread
- Get vaccinated and wear masks indoors in public spaces to reduce the spread of this variant.
- Testing
- All tests work for all variants, but they will not tell you which variant you have.
- As new variants emerge, scientists will continue to evaluate how well tests work.