'Dramatically More Infectious': Medical Expert Dr. David Agus Warns Of Risks Of Delta Variant
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- The coronavirus has become a truly moving target with the Delta variant being the current threat. CBS News Medical Expert Dr. David Agus, CEO of the Ellison Institute of Transformative Medicine, says it is a major threat.
"The Delta Variant is a subset of the COVID-19 virus that was originated in India and seems to be dramatically more infectious. You know, a week or two ago in the United States it was 6% or 7% of cases. Today it's, you know 32% of cases and over the next two, three weeks, it'll be 89% of cases in the United States because of its infectivity."
Dr. Agus says the good news is the current vaccines work on the Delta Variant.
"If you had two shots of Pfizer or Moderna, what we know is you're protected from symptoms from the Delta Variant. 90% of people will have no symptoms at all, 10% have very, very mild symptoms. With one shot of Pfizer or Moderna, and you're not really protected. Prior COVID-19 infection, you're not really protected."
And he says the jury is still out on the Johnson & Johnson vaccine.
As for the unvaccinated, Dr. Agus says the Delta Variant is a more significant threat.
"No question about it. If you're an adult who is unvaccinated and you practice certain behaviors, until now, they may have protected you from getting the virus. But it's all changed with this Delta Variant. It is much easier to spread. And then once you get it, you get much higher levels of virus because it goes from cell to cell much easier."
And the unvaccinated who need to be concerned are also children, he says.
"Oh, no question about it. I mean, it's just, it's easier to spread. So before the kids could play in a playground, and there wasn't enough interaction to spread the virus. Now there may be with this new variant. So we have to be really concerned and keep up our guard with our children who were not vaccinated, that means, wearing masks distancing which we don't want to hear, but we have to do until they are protected. The virus can cause issues in children and they're also a significant vehicle for continued spread of the virus in this country."
Bottom line, Dr. Agus says we need to keep our kids protected, "Anywhere where they can have interactions with individuals at close distances they need to wear masks."
That does not mean keeping them out of summer camps, which Dr. Agus says are doing a good job of testing and protecting.
"It can be a very safe experience. And camps are starting to do a right they're keeping all the kids in one bus together and not allowing it to go others because if there's one case, they don't want it to spread in the whole camp. And they're being very strategic. So if you trust what your camp is doing and how they do it, it makes all the sense in the world to give children the socialization the athletic activities the outdoor activities in camp. It was good for all of us growing up."
