Mesa County was the first location in Colorado where the B.1.617.2 variant was detected. The variant, first identified in India, was recently renamed the Delta variant and now accounts for more than 6% of all infections in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Since it was first detected in Mesa County a little more than a month ago, this highly transmissible variant is spreading rapidly. There are now 125 identified cases of the Delta variant in Mesa County residents. Not all positive cases are sequenced for variants, meaning the actual number of infections is much higher.
To prevent the spread of this highly contagious illness, please stay home and do not go to work, child care, or gatherings if you have symptoms of any kind, even if you are vaccinated. Mesa County’s COVID-19 case data over the most recent 14 day period shows the most infections in the 10-19 age group (138). Another 50 cases have been in individuals age 0-9 in the last two weeks.
What we know about the Delta variant:
- More contagious and transmissible, particularly among youth ages 12-20.
- A recent study in India found it to be 50% more contagious than other COVID-19 strains.
- In Mesa County 38 of the 125 Delta variant cases have been reported in individuals between the ages of 0-19.
- Higher risk of hospitalization in unvaccinated individuals.
- A CDC study found a rise in adolescent (ages 12 to17) hospitalizations in March-April for all strains of COVID-19.
If you are not fully vaccinated, please take the following precautions:
- Avoid crowds and keep your distance from others, this virus and variant strain is highly contagious and spreads mainly through respiratory droplets when someone talks, coughs, or sneezes.
- Wear a mask in public indoor settings, wherever social distancing is not possible, and where required by federal or other facility regulations.
- Wash your hands regularly with soap and water for at least 20 seconds.
Vaccination is an effective way to prevent illness and variant spread:
- All Mesa County residents age 12 and older are eligible to be vaccinated.
- The vaccine is widely available in our community at numerous pharmacies and the Community Vaccination Site at Mesa County Public Health. Click here to schedule your vaccine.
- There is no cost for COVID-19 vaccination.