Fauci: Even as COVID Delta variant spreads, vaccinated people can go maskless
The Delta variant is expected to eclipse the Alpha variant in the next couple weeks, which worries health officials, said Rochelle Walensky, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The more transmissible Delta variant of coronavirus now accounts for 26% of COVID-19 cases in the US, the CDC estimates. Cases of the variant have now been identified in all 50 states.
Research shows the vaccine is the best way to protect oneself from the virus. Ninety-nine percent of deaths in the South and Midwest are in unvaccinated people, Walensky said on Thursday.
"The suffering and loss we are now seeing is nearly entirely avoidable," she said.
Should we put the mask back on?
Confusion erupted after the World Health Organization announced on Tuesday that people should continue to wear a mask and social distance, even after getting vaccinated. WHO officials are concerned about the rapidly spreading Delta Variant, which is more contagious and deadly. None of the current vaccines are 100% effective at preventing someone from contracting this strain, which worries some officials.
But, the CDC is still recommending that fully vaccinated individuals don't have to wear a mask. Dr Anthony Fauci, the nation's top infectious disease expert, said Thursday that if someone is in a community where there is a high transmission rate of the virus, because not many people are vaccinated, it may be appropriate to mask up.
There's no way to know if maskless people really are vaccinated and local governments can set tighter guidelines. This week, with the delta variant spreading locally, health officials in Los Angeles County said they still recommend masks indoors in public places for everyone.
Unvaccinated people are still strongly recommended to continue wearing a face covering.
Does the vaccine protect against Delta variant?
The White House coronavirus task force on Thursday addressed concerns about how effective the coronavirus vaccines are at protecting people from the Delta variant.
Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation's top infectious disease expert, said the Pfizer and Astrazeneca vaccines are about 60% effective against a confirmed infection, and 88% effective against people falling ill after contracting the coronavirus Delta variant.
The Pfizer and Astrazeneca vaccines are more than 90% effective at preventing people from going to the hospital after getting sick with the Delta variant.
Fauci said that the White House is still looking at data on how effective the Johnson & Johnson vaccine is against the Delta variant. Based on recent data, Fauci said one can assume it is as effective if not more effective at preventing illness.
Delta response team
The Biden administration announced that it is deploying response teams across the US to areas with a high spread of the highly contagious Delta variant of COVID-19 as concerns grow around the nation.
These teams — made up of officials from the CDC, the Department of Health and Human Services and the Federal Emergency Management Agency — will go into communities where officials are worried about a potentially deadly combination: low vaccination rates and a significant presence of the highly transmissible form of the virus.
The White House has deployed similar response teams in the past, but this is the first time they are focused on the Delta variant, a White House official said. These response teams will surge testing, provide therapeutics like monoclonal antibodies and deploy federal personnel to areas that need support staff for vaccinations.
The White House coronavirus team is spearheading this effort and officials expect the teams will help with everything from boosting testing, providing supplies and potentially increasing paid media efforts targeting regions where vaccinations are low.
Vaccination progress
While these response teams are being sent to prop up communities, officials believe vaccinations are the number one way to stop the spread and recognize there could be a limit to their efforts. Most US adults who plan to get vaccinated against COVID-19 have already done so, according to a Kaiser Family Foundation report released this week.
Cases and deaths are down more than 90% since January 2020, White House officials said on Thursday.
More than 60% — or two-thirds — of American adults have at least one dose of the coronavirus vaccine.
"We have exceeded our expectations of where we would be on July 4," said Jeff Zients, counselor to the President of the United States.
Recognizing the concern over the variant, the Biden administration flooded TV networks with top federal health officials this week to address concerns ahead of the July Fourth weekend.
"We want to be as clear as possible," press secretary Jen Psaki said Thursday. "So, if you have been vaccinated, the message we're conveying is: You're safe ...If you are not yet vaccinated, you are not safe and protected. That's why you should go get vaccinated. It's not more complicated than that in some regards."
