UP. ERIKA: THE DANGEROUS DELTA VARIANT IS NOW LINKETOD MORE THAN HALF OF ALL NEW COVID-19 INFECTIONS IN THE U.S.HERE TO EXPLAIN WHAT THAT OULD MEAN FOR YOUR HEALTH IS DR. DANIEL KURITZKES, CHIEF OF INFECTIOUS DISEASES OF BRIGHAM AND WOMEN’S HOSPITAL. DR. KURITZKES THANK YOUS A ALWAYS FOR BEING HERE. WE KNOW ISTH VARIANT IS MORE TRANSMISSIBLE AND MAY CAUSE MORE BREAKTHRGHOU INFECTIONS. DO YOU THINK WE NEED TO BE MORE CAUTIOUS IN PUBLIC, EVEN IF ‘REWE FULLY VACCINAD?TE >> GOOD AFTERNOON. I THINK IT DEPENDS AOT L ON YOUR INDIVIDUAL CIRCUMSTANCES. IF YOUE’R FULLY VACCINATED AND EVERYBODY IN YOUR HOUSE HOLY IS HOUSEHOLD IS VACCINATED, YOU DON’T NEED TO CONCERNED. THEY ARE HIGHLY EFFECTIVE AGAINST DELTA PREVENTING ANY SEVERE DISEASE. IF YOU HAVE SOMEBODY WHO’S VULNERABLE IN YOUR HOUSEHOLD OR WHO’S IMMUNOCOMPROMISED, WHEN YOU’RE IN CROWDS OR SITUATIONS, YOU MIGHT CHOOSE TO WEAR A MASK JUST OUT OF CAUTION. BEN: WHEN YOU TELL PATIENTS AT THE BRIGHAM THAT THEY’VE TESTED POSITIVE FOR COVID-19, AREOU ABLE TO TELL WHICH VARNTIA? >> WE CAN’T TELL PEOPLE INDIVIDUALLY WTHA VARIANT THEY HAVE. WE’RE NOT ABLE TO REPORT THAT INDIVIDUALLY TO PEOPLE BECAUSE THOSE TESTS ARE NOT YET FDA APPREDOV TESTS. THAT CONSTRAINS A BIT ON INDIVIDUAL INFORMATION WEAN C PROVIDE. ERIKA: ARE WE STILL MOVING FORWARD WITH TREATMENT OPTIONS? TREATMENTSRE A DIFFERENT FOR DIFFERENT VARIANTS. >> TREATMENTS FOR DIFFERENT VARIANTS AREHE T SAME. WE ARE CONTINUOUSLY MAKING IMPROVEMENT. I READ ANOTHER STUDYHA TT WAS RELEASED THAT REPRESENTS AND ADDITIONAL ADVANCE IN OUR TREATMENT OF PEOPLE WITH COVID-19. THERE’S STLIL PROGRESS BEING MADE. BEN: HERE’S AN ANNOUNCEMENT THAT CAUGHT OUR ATTENTION. SOME ZOOINS THE U.S. ARE NOW VACCINATING THEIR ANIMALS AGAINST COVID-19. IS IT THE SAME SHOT THAT HUMANS RECEE?IV ARE PETS ELIGIBLE TO GET IT TOO? >> IT’S NOT THE SAME VACCINE AS ISIV GEN TO PEOPLE. WE’REOT N WASTING VACCINES THAT SHOULD BE GNGOI TO PEOPLE OR COUNTRIESHA TT DON’T GET THEM. THIS IS A VACCINE THAT WAS DEVELOPED SPECIFICALLY FOR ANIMALS. IT DEVELOPED TO PROTECT MINGS. THERE WAS A DONATION FROM THE MANUFACTURE TO ZOOS INHE T U.S. TO PROTECT ZOO ANIMALS WHO MIGHT COME IN CONTACT WITH LARGE NUMBSER OF PEOPLE AND COULD HAVE TRANSMISSION BACK-AND-FORTH. IT’S NOT YET AVAILABLE FOR PETS. IT’S NOT APPROVED YET BY THE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE FOR ADMINISTRATION TO PETS. BEN: INCREDIBLE. GOOD T

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Video: Do fully-vaccinated people need to be more cautious about delta COVID-19 variant?

Updated: 6:54 PM EDT Jul 7, 2021

Dr. Daniel Kuritzkes, of Brigham and Women’s, says the level of concern should depend on your circumstances.

BOSTON —

Dr. Daniel Kuritzkes, of Brigham and Women’s, says the level of concern should depend on your circumstances.

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