Tech & Science dictionary
Delta variant
or delta variant or Delta Variant [ del-tuh vair-ee-uhnt ]
What does Delta variant mean?
The Delta variant is a variant of the COVID-19 virus. Delta variant is the common name used to refer to what is technically known as the B.1.617.2 variant.
A variant of a virus is a new strain that has emerged due to a mutation (or mutations) in the virus’s genetic structure.
The Delta variant is a more contagious variant of the COVID-19 virus that spread rapidly after its emergence.
Use of the name Delta variant became widespread in news reports and public health communications in the spring and summer of 2021 as experts warned that it posed a severe public health threat, especially to unvaccinated populations.
Where does Delta variant come from?
The Delta variant is believed to have emerged in India in late 2020. It was first detected in the US in March 2021. In the name Delta variant, the word delta refers to the fourth letter of the Greek alphabet. The name was used by the World Health Organization (WHO) because the Delta variant was the fourth major variant of COVID-19 to be identified. (Other major variants were named Alpha, Beta, and Gamma, after the first three letters of the Greek alphabet.)
The name Delta variant came to be well-known in 2021 due its increased contagiousness, often being discussed in the context of efforts to increase vaccination rates in order to contain its rapid spread. Studies at the time showed that existing vaccines are largely effective against the Delta variant and other variants of COVID-19.
Examples of Delta variant
Who uses Delta variant?
The name Delta variant is the most common way to refer to the COVID-19 variant that’s technically known as B.1.617.2. It’s widely used by health experts and in media reports.
No vaccine is 100% effective, but Covid vaccines protect well against severe illness caused by the Delta variant. Breakthrough cases are expected, but they remain largely rare and mild, and vaccination almost eliminates risk of hospitalization and death from infection.
— Dr. Tom Frieden (@DrTomFrieden) July 1, 2021
The White House will send three million doses of Moderna’s vaccine to Indonesia today, in what will amount to one of the largest single shipments yet, a White House official says. Indonesia recently reported a record number of daily deaths as the Delta variant circulates.
— Kaitlan Collins (@kaitlancollins) July 9, 2021
We know the Delta Variant is contagious — and is on the rise.
We know our hospitalizations are creeping up — and most of the patients are unvaccinated.
We also know the science is clear — getting vaccinated protects you AND those around you.
Get vaccinated.
— Gavin Newsom (@GavinNewsom) July 2, 2021
Note
This is not meant to be a formal definition of Delta variant like most terms we define on Dictionary.com, but is rather an informal word summary that hopefully touches upon the key aspects of the meaning and usage of Delta variant that will help our users expand their word mastery.