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Wednesday, 08/04/2021 12:14:25 PM

Wednesday, August 04, 2021 12:14:25 PM

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Delta Variant Now 93% of U.S. Coronavirus Cases, CDC Says -- Barrons.com
DOW JONES & COMPANY, INC. 11:13 AM ET 8/4/2021
Symbol Last Price Change
JNJ 173.83down -0.56 (-0.3211%)
QUOTES AS OF 11:55:35 AM ET 08/04/2021
Here's what you need to know to navigate the markets today.

-- The highly infectious Delta variant of coronavirus now accounts for an estimated 93.4% of U.S. cases as of July 31, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In the region of the U.S. that includes Montana, Wyoming, Colorado, Utah and North and South Dakota, that percentage is even higher at 95.6% of cases. In comparison, the previously dominant Alpha variant is estimated to comprise only 2.9% of cases nationwide, and the Gamma variant only 1.3% of cases. The U.S on Tuesday reported 106,557 new confirmed cases and 616 deaths, per Johns Hopkins University.

-- The Delta variant's rapid spread has raised the threshold for "herd immunity" to more than 80% and possibly 90%, the Infectious Diseases Society of America said Tuesday. Herd immunity is based on the idea that once a certain percentage of the population is vaccinated against a virus or has recovered from previous infection, the broader population is more protected from the risks of its spread. That's a higher bar than previous estimates of 70% because Delta is more than twice as transmissible. "To put this in perspective, if you get sick with the Alpha variant, you could infect about two other unvaccinated people. If you get sick with the Delta variant, we estimate that you could infect about five other unvaccinated people -- more than twice as many as the original strain," CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky said Monday. In addition, people who get infected with the Delta variant carry a larger amount of the virus that they can spread to others, including the small number of fully vaccinated people who become infected.

-- The Food and Drug Administration is accelerating its timetable to fully approve Pfizer-BioNTech's coronavirus vaccine by Labor Day or earlier, The New York Times reported, citing people familiar with the effort. The agency said in a statement that because granting full approval to vaccines currently approved for emergency use might increase public confidence in the vaccine, it has "taken an all-hands-on-deck approach" to the process. Full approval could increase vaccination rates, help disprove misinformation about the safety of the vaccine, and clarify legal issues about imposing mandates as the Delta variant continues to drive up the number of new cases. Several universities and hospitals, the Defense Department and the city of San Francisco are expected to require inoculation once a vaccine is fully approved. Moderna has also filed for final approval of its Covid-19 vaccine, but is still submitting data to regulatory agencies, and Johnson & Johnson(JNJ) has not yet applied but is expected to do so later this year.

-- Israel is asking employers to switch to work-from-home models and tightened travel restrictions and warned about possible lockdowns as new coronavirus cases increase, Bloomberg reported. The cabinet urged the public to stop shaking hands, embracing and kissing, and to avoid nonessential meetings in enclosed spaces, especially for people over 60. Israel last week became the first country to administer booster shots to people over 60 as part of efforts to stop the spread of the virus. Travelers returning from abroad, including the U.S., must quarantine, even if fully vaccinated. " The delta pandemic is much more infectious and is leaping ahead around the world," the virus subcommittee said. "Avoid gatherings and go get vaccinated--now."

Write to editors@barrons.com


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