CDC Update on the COVID-19 Pandemic and Delta Variant

Key Messages and Talking Points for Partners  --  Updated July 27, 2021

Top 5 Things To Know About Covid-19 And Delta Variant.

From the CDC website: Information about the characteristics of these variants is rapidly emerging. Scientists are working to learn more about how easily they spread, whether they could cause more severe illness, and whether currently authorized vaccines will protect people against them.

Viruses constantly change through mutation, and new variants of a virus are expected to occur. Sometimes new variants emerge and disappear. Other times, new variants persist. Multiple variants of the virus that causes COVID-19 have been documented in the United States and globally during this pandemic.

Viruses constantly change and become more diverse. Scientists monitor these changes, including changes to the spikes on the surface of the virus. By carefully studying viruses, scientists can learn how changes to the virus might affect how it spreads and how sick people will get from it.

Use this resource to help you answer questions and guide your efforts in dealing with the pandemic.