Virginia Department of Health officials announced a “significant increase” in the prevalence of the more contagious Delta variant throughout the state on Friday, saying the strain is now dominant nationwide and the most common in Virginia.
The VDH reported that 80% of COVID-19 infections caused by a “variant of concern” during the week ending on July 10th were attributed to the Delta variant. That’s an increase of 45% since the week ending June 19th, the VDH said Friday in a news release.
As of Friday, Aug. 6, a total of 436 COVID-19 infections had been attributed to the Delta variant across the state. The number includes 85 cases in Northern Virginia.
But those numbers are likely much lower than the true number of Delta infections across the state, as the VDH sequences only a limited number of infections.
“Currently, a subset of COVID-19 positive specimens are available for the specialized testing that is required to see which variant type they are,” the news release said. “The Delta variant has been identified in all of Virginia’s five health regions.”
The Delta variant is having the largest impact on the unvaccinated, according to Virginia State Health Commissioner Dr. M. Norman Oliver.
“The Delta variant is here in Virginia, and it is hitting our unvaccinated population especially hard,” Oliver said in the release.
Oliver continued to urge Virginians to get vaccinated against COVID-19.
“We have a very effective tool to stop transmission of COVID-19: vaccination. There is no question that COVID-19 vaccination is saving lives and preventing and reducing illness. I urge everyone who is eligible to get vaccinated as soon as possible,” he said.
“Do it for your families, your friends, your neighbors, yourself, and join the millions of others who are protected.”
According to the Centers for Disease Control, infections in fully vaccinated people, also known as breakthrough infections, happen in only a small proportion of people who are fully vaccinated, the release said.
Moreover, when these infections occur among vaccinated people, they tend to be mild. However, preliminary evidence suggests that fully vaccinated people who do become infected with the Delta variant may be infectious and might spread the virus to others, the release said.
Amid the rise of COVID-19 cases due to the Delta variant, VDH advises Virginians to:
- wear a mask in indoor settings even if you are vaccinated.
- get fully vaccinated.
- stay at least 6 feet from others outside of your household.
- avoid crowds and poorly ventilated spaces.
- wash your hands often.
- stay home if you are infected with COVID-19, and
- stay separate from others and get tested if you have had close contact with someone with COVID-19.
“The best way to stop variant strains from developing in the first place is to stop the spread of COVID-19,” the release said.
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August 07, 2021 at 01:51AM
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State department of health: Delta variant is now dominant in Virginia - Prince William Times
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