Experts say the Delta variant is 40% to 50% more transmissible than other variants, which means that unvaccinated people can more easily catch it and vaccinated people face a higher risk of a breakthrough infection.
Cases of the highly-infectious British variant are increasing but patients sickened by variants that first emerged in California outnumber all others.
Oregon State University researchers have found the British variant, B.1.1.7, which is about 50% more contagious and likely more deadly, in Grants Pass an McMinnville.
Oregon researchers found a case of a rapidly spreading coronavirus variant that was first detected in Britain combined with a mutation that could be more resistant to vaccines.
Federal rules around who can be told about the variant cases are so confusing that public health officials may merely know the county where a case has emerged.
Public health officials warn that Oregonians need to keep their guard up because the situation can change, especially with the treat of variants that appear to be more easily transmissible.
Oregon State University has found numerous instances of a Southern California strain that’s caused several large outbreaks there, plus a highly infectious British strain.
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Oregon Health & Science University told The Lund Report it has identified a case of the variant that first emerged in Britain, following earlier announcements by the state of three cases.
