Delta variant seen in a fifth of US Covid cases, CDC says

The delta variant is spreading rapidly in the U.S. and now accounts for a fifth of recent coronavirus cases, the head of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said.

Rochelle Walensky said in an appearance at the Milken Institute Future of Health Summit on Wednesday that the rapid growth in the delta variant, which first emerged in India, was seen after the strain accounted for just 3% of cases analyzed several weeks ago. The delta variant is predicted to be the second most prevalent lineage nationally for the two weeks ending June 19, and it’s already become the predominant lineage in some regions, according to the CDC.