CORONAVIRUS UPDATE: Delta is on the rampage. Now what?

The stark data behind the CDC's reversal on masks. Plus: Why we struggle to assess risks.  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌    ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  

 

BREAKTHROUGH INFECTIONS VIEW ONLINE

BREAKTHROUGH INFECTIONS

Coronavirus Update

This week: Why the CDC reversed course on masks; disturbing new numbers in the U.S.; the science behind why we have trouble weighing risks; the threat of breakthrough infections.

PHOTOGRAPH BY FRANCINE ORR, LOS ANGELES TIMES VIA GETTY IMAGES Behind the CDC's reversal on masks, a stark warning The virus had more than a year to stumble upon mutations that let it more effectively enter human cells and evade our immune systems. Now, we have Delta: roughly twice as transmissible as earlier strains of the virus, and possibly as contagious as chickenpox. READ MORE

NG STAFF The U.S. is entering a new stage of the pandemic As vaccine rates stagnate in the U.S., the highly transmissible Delta variant now accounts for more than 82 percent of new cases. "The war has changed," writes the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in an internal document leaked to the Washington Post.  SEE THE DATA

PHOTOGRAPH BY SCOTT CAMAZINE, SCIENCE SOURCE Struggling to assess pandemic risks? You're not alone. Lots of psychological factors influence individual responses to danger, as well as our willingness to make less risky decisions. LEARN MORE

What we're reading 'The war has changed': Internal CDC document urges new messaging (Washington Post)  ›› The Delta variant is winning. How did it come to this? (The Atlantic)  ››

PHOTOGRAPH BY GENARO MOLINA, LOS ANGELES TIMES, GETTY IMAGES Severe breakthrough infections remain very rare, despite rising concerns There also isn’t enough data to declare one vaccine better than others against severe illness and death, experts say. READ THE STORY

PHOTOGRAPH BY MUHAMMAD FADLI Indonesia is a new global epicenter. The peak has yet to come. "After the pandemic we probably will have a lost generation." READ THE STORY

MORE ON YOUR HEALTH

PHOTOGRAPH BY MARTIN OEGGERLI How trillions of microbes affect every stage of our life—from birth to old age SUBSCRIBER EXCLUSIVE TY O'NEIL, SOPA IMAGES/SIPA/AP IMAGES Wildfire smoke blowing across the U.S. is more toxic than we thought READ MORE

PHOTOGRAPH BY ALESSANDRO GANDOLFI, PARALLELOZERO/INSITITUTE This island unlocked the secret to long life READ MORE PHOTOGRAPH BY STEFAN WERMUTH, BLOOMBERG VIA GETTY IMAGES 'Zoom fatigue' may be with us for years READ MORE

MORE CORONAVIRUS NEWS

Why do viruses mutate? The latest news: Massachusetts COVID cluster was 75% vaccinated Scientists urge local mask mandates as Delta sweeps the U.S. A spritz instead of a jab? Future COVID-19 vaccines may go up your nose. Vaccines are highly unlikely to cause side effects long after getting the shot

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