Delta Variant Greatest Threat To US Pandemic Response: Top Expert Fauci

"The transmissibility is unquestionably greater" in the Delta variant than the original variant of COVID-19, Dr Anthony Fauci said, adding that "it is associated with an increased disease severity."

The Delta variant of the novel coronavirus that was first found in India is the greatest threat to the United States' effort to eradicate COVID-19 in its borders, said US infectious disease expert Dr Anthony Fauci during a Tuesday press call. "The transmissibility is unquestionably greater" in the Delta variant than the original variant of COVID-19, Fauci said, adding that "it is associated with an increased disease severity." The Delta variant is becoming the globally dominant version of the disease, the World Health Organization's chief scientist said on Friday. Fauci said that the vaccines authorized in the United States, including the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine, are effective against the new variant of COVID-19.