Delta COVID variant spreading across Northeast Arkansas

The new more contagious COVID-19 variant, known as Delta, is sweeping across the country and Arkansas and the Northeast section of the state are not immune. The Delta Variant, first found in India in December, could become the dominant strain in the U.S., according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

It’s believed to be the most contagious form of the virus discovered so far. An estimated 90% of cases in Great Britain are now attributed to the variant, and that number is about 20% of new cases in the U.S., the CDC reports. Mask mandates have been lifted, and CDC Director Rochelle Walensky said on Wednesday (June 30) that those who have been vaccinated do not need to wear a mask.

“If you are vaccinated, you are safe from the variants that are circulating here in the United States,” Walensky said on NBC’s “Today,” adding it was “exactly right” that vaccinated people do not need to wear masks.

The number of cases in Arkansas has spiked in recent weeks, a likely result of Delta. Over the last 24 hours, Arkansas has identified 479 new confirmed and probable cases. There has been an increase of 196 active cases and eight new deaths since yesterday.

“Everyone knows exactly what needs to be done,” Gov. Asa Hutchinson said earlier this week. “I don’t think there’s anything else that the government can do.”

Dr. Cam Patterson, UAMS chancellor, noted that hospitals across the state are seeing younger and sicker patients due to the Delta. He fears the state is in the midst of a third surge.

“We are now going in the wrong direction yet again with COVID-19 patients here in Arkansas,” Patterson said. “We may be at the beginning of the third surge of COVID-19 here in Arkansas.”

In Northeast Arkansas, a significant number of patients are infected with the virus. In the region’s most populous county, Craighead, there are 94 active cases, according to the Arkansas Department of Health. Since the outbreak began in March 2020, at least 186 patients have died from the disease in the county and there have been 13,806 confirmed cases.

White County has the second most confirmed cases in the region with 8,366, and 124 reported deaths. Greene County, the second most populous county in NEA, has had 6,258 cases with 78 deaths. Initial hotspot Crittenden County has had 6,186, while 97 deaths have been reported. Mississippi County has reported 5,921 cases with 110 deaths.

Many of the deaths initially reported in the region were tied to nursing homes.

One of the problems in Arkansas is the vaccination rate is one of the lowest in the country. An estimated 39% of the population has received a COVID-19 vaccine, and Patterson said the number has to rise dramatically for the state to achieve so-called “herd immunity.” The CDC reports that Arkansas ranks 46th among all states in terms of vaccination rates.