Wisconsin's Deputy Health Secretary Spells Out the Dangers of Delta Variant

Friday, August 13th, 2021 -- 1:01 PM

(Bob Hague, WRN) Spelling out the danger from Delta, as COVID-19 cases surge in Wisconsin.

"The Delta variant is a whole new game, because it is highly contagious. Much more contagious than the original strain of COVID-19."  That from Deputy Health Services Secretary Julie Willems Van Dijk.

"We know that people who are unvaccinated are most at risk for getting very ill, hospitalized and dying. With this surge we're a few weeks behind our southern states."

Willems Van Dijk continued, "With the original strain of COVID-19, an infected person was likely to infect two other people, who were than likely to infect two addional people, for a total of six cases from one infection. With the Delta variant, an infected person is likely to infect five people, who are likely to infect 25 people, for a total of 30 cases from one infection."

Willems Van Dijk says Wisconsin has a similar vaccination rate to Florida, where hospitals are overrun with new COVID cases. She says a return to mask wearing an getting more shots in arms can still avert that in Wisconsin.

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