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Delta variant accounts for 83% of COVID cases in U.S., CDC director says
CBSN
There's an alarming jump in COVID-19 cases across the U.S. New infections are up by more than 120% nationwide in the past month and the CDC director says the Delta variant accounts for 83% of infections. While nowhere near the highs of the pandemic, a fourth — and mostly preventable — wave is appearing.
Across the country, vaccination rates have plunged since mid-April and the more contagious Delta variant has exploded. "CDC has released estimates of variants across the country and predicted the Delta variant now represents 83% of sequenced cases. This is a dramatic increase, up from 50% for the week of July 3. In some parts of the country, the percentage is even higher, particularly in areas of low vaccination rates," CDC Director Rochelle Walensky said in a Senate hearing on Tuesday.
Trump administration political appointees have taken steps in recent weeks to exert unprecedented influence over the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's flagship medical research publication, the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, multiple federal health officials tell CBS News. The interference included dictating what to cover and withholding studies on the growing bird flu outbreak.
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Since ChatGPT was released just over two years ago, its use everywhere from the workplace to academia has expanded significantly. In schools across the country, teachers and administrators have been grappling with how to contend with this new tool. While some say it has benefits, others point out the negatives, like cheating.