Delta variant | Meaning & Origin

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It was first detected in the US in March 2021. In the name <em>Delta variant</em>, the word <em><a href="https://www.dictionary.com/browse/delta" target="_blank" rel="noopener">delta</a></em> refers to the fourth letter of the Greek alphabet. The name was used by the World Health Organization (WHO) because the <em>Delta</em> variant was the fourth major variant of COVID-19 to be identified. (Other major variants were named <a href="https://www.dictionary.com/browse/alpha" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><em>Alpha</em></a>, <a href="https://www.dictionary.com/browse/beta" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><em>Beta</em></a>, and <a href="https://www.dictionary.com/browse/gamma" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><em>Gamma</em></a>, after the first three letters of the Greek alphabet.)</p> <p>The name <em>Delta variant </em>came to be well-known in 2021 due its increased contagiousness, often being discussed in the context of efforts to increase vaccination rates in order to contain its rapid spread. Studies at the time showed that existing vaccines are largely effective against the <em>Delta variant </em>and other variants of COVID-19.</p> </div> </div> </div> <div class="ad ad-atw-origin-mobile atw-mobile-ad" id="ad-wrapper-atw-origin-mobile"> </div> <script> var adWrappers = document.getElementsByClassName('ad-atw-origin-mobile'); var getAdWrapper = () => { if (adWrappers.length === 1) { return adWrappers[0]; } else { for (adWrapper of adWrappers) { var childNodes = adWrapper.children; if (childNodes.length === 0) { var grandParentNode = adWrapper.parentNode.parentNode; var isVisibleNode = !(grandParentNode.style.display === 'none') if (isVisibleNode) { return adWrapper; } } } } } var adWrapper = getAdWrapper() if (adWrapper) { var adUnit = document.createElement('div'); if (isSovrn) { adUnit.classList.add('dictionary_right_rail_300x250_flex_2'); adUnit.setAttribute('data-text', 'Sovrn Advertisement'); adWrapper.appendChild(adUnit); var hasWindow = typeof window !== 'undefined'; var hasProperBuildSlots = hasWindow && typeof window.properBuildSlots !== 'undefined'; if (hasProperBuildSlots) { window.properBuildSlots(); }; } else { adUnit.id = 'crb-ad-slot-atw-origin-mobile' adUnit.setAttribute('data-text', 'GPT Advertisement'); var adContainer = document.createElement('div'); adContainer.classList.add("ad__container"); if ("") { adContainer.classList.add(""); } adContainer.id = "crb-ad-container-atw-origin-mobile"; adContainer.setAttribute('data-text', 'GPT Advertisement'); var adContainerInner = document.createElement('div'); adContainerInner.classList.add('ad__container-inner'); adContainerInner.id = "crb-ad-container-inner-atw-origin-mobile"; adContainerInner.setAttribute('data-text', 'GPT Advertisement'); adWrapper.appendChild(adUnit); adContainerInner.appendChild(adUnit); adContainer.appendChild(adContainerInner); adWrapper.appendChild(adContainer); } } </script> <div class="article-word__row" id="examples"> <div class="article-word__examples"> <h2 class="article-word__row-title"> Examples of Delta variant </h2> <div class="article-word__examples-list"> <div class="examples__item"> <div class="examples__item__wrapper"> <div class="examples__item__content text" style="border: 2px solid #92d6ff;"> <span>So much sideye [sic] for the people (admittedly a minority) riding the subway without masks. Delta variant, folks.</span> </div> <div class="examples__item__description"> @farai, July 2, 2021 </div> </div> </div> <div class="examples__item"> <div class="examples__item__wrapper"> <div class="examples__item__content text" style="border: 2px solid #92d6ff;"> <span>The infectious Delta variant has become California鈥檚 most identified strain of the coronavirus, a troubling development that underscores the strain鈥檚 danger to unvaccinated populations.</span> </div> <div class="examples__item__description"> Rong-gong Lin II, <em>Los Angeles Times</em>, July 4, 2021 </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="article-word__row" id="usage"> <div class="article-word__usage"> <h2 class="article-word__row-title"> Who uses Delta variant? </h2> <div class="usage__content clear"> <p>The name <em>Delta variant</em> is the most common way to refer to the COVID-19 variant that鈥檚 technically known as B.1.617.2. It鈥檚 widely used by health experts and in media reports.</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true"> <p lang="en" dir="ltr">No vaccine is 100% effective, but Covid vaccines protect well against severe illness caused by the Delta variant. Breakthrough cases are expected, but they remain largely rare and mild, and vaccination almost eliminates risk of hospitalization and death from infection.</p> <p>— Dr. Tom Frieden (@DrTomFrieden) <a href="https://twitter.com/DrTomFrieden/status/1410713011233361923?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 1, 2021</a></p></blockquote> <p><script async src="https://www.dictionary.com/e/wp-content/themes/dictionary-com/js/build/bundle-theme-twitter-embeds.js"></script></p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true"> <p lang="en" dir="ltr">The White House will send three million doses of Moderna鈥檚 vaccine to Indonesia today, in what will amount to one of the largest single shipments yet, a White House official says. Indonesia聽recently reported a record number of daily deaths as the Delta variant circulates.</p> <p>— Kaitlan Collins (@kaitlancollins) <a href="https://twitter.com/kaitlancollins/status/1413453053722718208?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 9, 2021</a></p></blockquote> <p><script async src="https://www.dictionary.com/e/wp-content/themes/dictionary-com/js/build/bundle-theme-twitter-embeds.js"></script></p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true"> <p lang="en" dir="ltr">We know the Delta Variant is contagious — and is on the rise.</p> <p>We know our hospitalizations are creeping up — and most of the patients are unvaccinated.</p> <p>We also know the science is clear — getting vaccinated protects you AND those around you.</p> <p>Get vaccinated.</p> <p>— Gavin Newsom (@GavinNewsom) <a href="https://twitter.com/GavinNewsom/status/1410960434371301379?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 2, 2021</a></p></blockquote> <p><script async src="https://www.dictionary.com/e/wp-content/themes/dictionary-com/js/build/bundle-theme-twitter-embeds.js"></script></p> </div> </div> </div> <div class="ad ad-atw-usage-mobile atw-mobile-ad" id="ad-wrapper-atw-usage-mobile"> </div> <script> var adWrappers = document.getElementsByClassName('ad-atw-usage-mobile'); 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if ("") { adContainer.classList.add(""); } adContainer.id = "crb-ad-container-atw-usage-mobile"; adContainer.setAttribute('data-text', 'GPT Advertisement'); var adContainerInner = document.createElement('div'); adContainerInner.classList.add('ad__container-inner'); adContainerInner.id = "crb-ad-container-inner-atw-usage-mobile"; adContainerInner.setAttribute('data-text', 'GPT Advertisement'); adWrapper.appendChild(adUnit); adContainerInner.appendChild(adUnit); adContainer.appendChild(adContainerInner); adWrapper.appendChild(adContainer); } } </script> <div class="article-word__row"> <div class="article-word__just-added"> <h2 class="article-word__row-title">Just Added</h2> <a href="https://www.dictionary.com/e/slang/brainrot/">brainrot</a>, <a href="https://www.dictionary.com/e/slang/midwest-nice/">Midwest nice</a>, <a href="https://www.dictionary.com/e/pop-culture/brat/">brat</a>, <a href="https://www.dictionary.com/e/historical-current-events/earth-day/">Earth Day</a>, <a href="https://www.dictionary.com/e/memes/yassification/">yassification</a></div> </div> <div class="article-word__row"> <div class="article-word__note"> <h2 class="article-word__row-title">Note</h2> <p> This is not meant to be a formal definition of Delta variant like most terms we define on Dictionary.com, but is rather an informal word summary that hopefully touches upon the key aspects of the meaning and usage of Delta variant that will help our users expand their word mastery. </p> </div> </div> </article> <div class="ad ad-bottom atw-desktop-ad" id="ad-wrapper-bottom"> </div> <script> var adWrappers = document.getElementsByClassName('ad-bottom'); 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