COVID cases grow as Delta's alternative catches CT



Connecticut's COVID metrics continue to rise by an inch, with 409 new reported cases on Monday - representing 1.53% of positivity - as Delta's diversity in government grows stronger. Connecticut is currently sending a seven-day confidence rate comparable to its numbers from the beginning of May.


Delta’s diversity, which was initially identified in India, is now likely to be stronger for the government, according to Nate Grubaugh, a pathologist at Yale School of Public Health. In addition to being a major viral infection, Delta cases are expected to increase in the coming weeks.


"The most important thing is that we will see an increase in cases in Connecticut due to Delta's differences, unless something serious happens," Grubaugh said. "My hope is that when things start we will be able to control things."


In some parts of the Delta, hospitalization has increased and deaths are increasing.


It is unlikely that Connecticut will see the same magnitude of hospital and mortality rates because the state has one of the highest immunization rates in the country, especially where 65+ adults are available.


As of Monday, 87.5% of 65-74 government citizens have been completely vaccinated and 83.6% of 75+ government citizens have been vaccinated. Just over 71% of the province's 12+ people have full protection. That puts Connecticut in the top five provinces across the country. However, state packets send very low immunization rates and are prone to outbreaks.


Keith Grant, executive director of the infection control program at Hartford HealthCare, expects to see an increase in hospital admissions as provincial cases increase, though the scale of that increase is not expected to be as high as it once was.


“We have gone from .3% to 1.2%… now we are 1.5%. So that is a good level of change, ”he said. "Even though there is no power to cover your face ... when you smell, wear your mask. If you believe you will be in a group of people where you do not know what their vaccination status is, everyone in those groups should wear a mask. Unless there is absolute assurance that everyone is vaccinated, and we know that doesn't happen.