You Could Spread The Delta Variant And Not Know It: Many Vaccinated Infections Asymptomatic, WHO Says

Despite being vaccinated against COVID-19, the World Health Organization said on Monday that people are getting infected with the spreading Delta variant.

WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said in a COVID press briefing, “The delta variant is ripping around the world at a scorching pace, driving a new spike in cases and death."

However, not everywhere is taking the same hit, he said.

“We are in the midst of a growing two-track pandemic where the haves and have-nots within and between countries are increasingly divergent in places with high vaccination coverage.”

The Delta variant is spreading throughout many parts of the world, including the U.S., infecting individuals who are not vaccinated or high-risk for contracting the virus, according to the global organization.

The Delta strain, which was first detected in India, has now been identified in more than 104 countries and is expected to soon be the dominant strain worldwide, the WHO said. It is considered the dominant strain in the U.S, hitting hard in states with low vaccination rates such as Missouri, Arkansas, and Nevada.

The WHO said COVID deaths are now increasing again after 10 weeks of declines. Last week marked a fourth consecutive week of increasing positive cases of the virus worldwide.

Globally, COVID-19 deaths have reached over 4 million, with total coronavirus cases at 187.3 million, according to data from Johns Hopkins University.

The WHO warns that while the vaccine can protect most people who have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19 from getting severely sick or dying from the Delta variant, some studies are showing that vaccinated people can still pass the virus.

WHO chief scientist Dr. Soumya Swaminathan said Monday, as reported by CNBC, the majority of cases of vaccinated people infected with the Delta variant have “mild or asymptomatic infections.”

WHO officials have previously recommended that people continue to wear face masks even after being fully vaccinated against the virus.

The recommendation from the WHO is a departure from the guidelines presented by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in mid-May, which rolled back mask requirements for fully-vaccinated Americans indoors and outdoors after getting their COVID shot.

Swaminathan said, according to CNBC, that wearing a face mask after getting the COVID jab “reduces your chances of severe hospitalization and death significantly.”

The WHO has said that more studies are needed to fully understand the transmissibility of the virus with vaccinated people.