Month: July 2021

Internal CDC report, quoted by NYT, says Delta variant likely to break through protections afforded by the vaccines. The Delta variant of the coronavirus is as contagious as chickenpox and could cause severe illness, according to an internal document at the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), The New York Times reported. The variant was also more likely to break through protections afforded by the vaccines, the report said, adding that CDC’s decision to reverse course on masking guidelines for fully vaccinated citizens on Tuesday is based on the document. The agency had previously said the vaccinated did not need to wear masks indoors. Still, the CDC’s figures show that the vaccines are highly effective in preventing serious illness, hospitalisation a...

');$vidEndSlate.removeClass('video__end-slate--inactive').addClass('video__end-slate--active');}};CNN.autoPlayVideoExist = (CNN.autoPlayVideoExist === true) ? true : false;var configObj = {thumb: 'none',video: 'health/2021/07/27/gupta-cdc-guidance-masks-sot-vpx-lead.cnn',width: '100%',height: '100%',section: 'domestic',profile: 'expansion',network: 'cnn',markupId: 'large-media_0',adsection: 'const-article-pagetop',frameWidth: '100%',frameHeight: '100%',posterImageOverride: {"mini":{"width":220,"type":"jpg","uri":"//cdn.cnn.com/cnnnext/dam/assets/210727163432-gupta-small-169.jpg","height":124},"xsmall":{"width":307,"type":"jpg","uri":"//cdn.cnn.com/cnnnext/dam/assets/210727163432-gupta-medium-plus-169.jpg","height":173},"small":{"width":460,"type":"jpg","uri":"//cdn.cnn.com/cnnnext/dam/as...

July 30 (Reuters) - The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has described the Delta variant of the coronavirus as being as transmissible as chickenpox and cautioned it could cause severe disease, the Washington Post said, citing an internal CDC document. The variant was also more likely to break through protections afforded by the vaccines, but the health authority said such incidents were very rare, the CDC report posted on the Washington Post website showed. https://bit.ly/3778gY7 In its summary, the CDC report said Delta is highly contagious, likely more severe than other variants and breakthrough infections may be as transmissible as unvaccinated cases. Still, the CDC's figures show that the vaccines are highly effective in preventing serious illness, hospitalisation...

CNN —   The United States is facing a pivotal moment in the battle against the coronavirus, given that vaccination rates remain stubbornly low in places and the Delta variant is hastening the rise in Covid-19 cases: It must do everything possible to increase vaccinations or risk worsening impacts of the pandemic. “If we want to keep our kids in school, if we want to protect the economy, if we want our country to get through this pandemic, we have to leave no stone unturned in making sure people get vaccinated,” US Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy told CNN’s Anderson Cooper. In the face of new cases surging in 48 states, according to data from Johns Hopkins University, President Joe Biden announc...

CHICAGO (WLS) -- Cook County Health officials are expected to issue new mask guidelines Friday as CDC data shows "substantial" COVID-19 transmission. County and state health officials looking at an uptick in case numbers they haven't seen in months. "As public health officials, we are extremely, extremely concerned about this rise," said Dr. Rachel Rubin, senior medical officer at Cook County Dept. of Public Health. "It's time for caution," said Steve Brandy, public information officer for Will County Health Dept. "That is a reminder that we are far from done here, and the fact that about 80% of these new cases in Will County are connected to the Delta variant." Cook, DeKalb, Grundy, Kendall, LaSalle and Boone counties have now joined the list of Illinois counties showing "substantial" c...