Delta variant behind more than 80 per cent of US cases: Fauci

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Jul 22, 2021 06:00 am

WASHINGTON : The Delta variant of the coronavirus is the cause of more than 80 per cent of new Covid-19 cases in the US, but the authorised vaccines remain more than 90 per cent effective in preventing hospitalisations and deaths, said top US infectious disease expert Anthony Fauci during a US Senate hearing on Tuesday.

The more contagious Delta variant was first found in India earlier this year.

It has since become the dominant version of the virus in the US and many other countries. It has been detected in more than 90 nations worldwide.

Deaths from Covid-19 in the US have averaged 239 a day over the past week, nearly 48 per cent higher than the previous week, US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention director Rochelle Walensky said during the hearing. - REUTERS