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How Contagious is Delta Actually?

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Woman coughs

Photo: Josep Suria (Shutterstock)

delta is more contagious than the original COVID-19 virus and even more contagious than the other worrying variants. That’s why the CDC recently recommended masking in some situations, even if you are vaccinated – as many public health experts have been calling for since Delta spread.

So how contagious is it? ON recently leaked CDC document contains some new data to put it into perspective.

Delta (blue box) is far more contagious and perhaps a little more deadly than the original (pink box) COVID.  Delta is more contagious than a host of other diseases, including the common cold, Ebola, and flu.  It's less deadly than Ebola, of course.

Screenshot: CDC

The CDC slides show a rough estimate of the infection and death rate from Delta, in addition to this New York Times graphh from earlier in the pandemic.

Delta might be a little more deadly than the original COVID (SARS-CoV-2 is the official name of the COVID virus), but most importantly, it’s much more contagious. The cold and various flu viruses are all about as contagious as the original COVID, but Delta is far more so. Not as much as measles, a classic super spreader, but about as much as chickenpox.

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If you’re old enough to remember chickenpox outbreaks as a kid, that sucks. I got chickenpox just a few years before the chickenpox vaccine came out, and as soon as a kid in our neighborhood got it, our parents knew that there was a good chance everyone would get it sooner or later.

It is very unlikely that people who are vaccinated will get Delta or any variant of COVID.

Do vaccinated people spread Delta?

If you’ve heard that vaccinated people shed just as much virus as unvaccinated people, that’s true, but only in the context of people who actually get sick. It is very unlikely that people who are vaccinated will get Delta or any variant of COVID. On the rare occasions when they do, they have the same viral load as unvaccinated people who contracted the virus.

People who are vaccinated and have not contracted Delta do not spread the virus or excrete virus particles or spike proteins or anything else. The problem isn’t with the vaccine, just that the vaccine isn’t perfect.

“Delta variant breakthrough cases can be just as transferable as unvaccinated cases,” said the CDC presentation. Prior to Delta, breakthrough cases were thought to be potentially less communicable than cases in unvaccinated people who contracted COVID.

CDC slide: higher risk of illness, hospitalization and death in unvaccinated compared to vaccinated people

Screenshot: CDC

To be completely clear about what the vaccine does for us, the data from the CDC shows that the vaccines are working well. Currently, unvaccinated people have an eight times higher incidence of COVID than vaccinated people and a 25 times higher risk of dying from COVID.

In the CDC presentation it says: “[g]In view of the higher transferability and current vaccination protection, universal masking is essential to reduce the transmission of the Delta variant. ”The CDC recently chose a less drastic message in its announcement and recommends masks depending on your personal situation and the transmission rate in your county . However, it’s also important to note that the spread of Delta will slow down as more people are vaccinated and masks may not be required when cases are low enough.

5 issues it is best to know earlier than the inventory market opens on Friday July 30th

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Here are the key news, trends, and analysis investors need to start their trading day:

1. Stocks open lower but July is still looking for profits

Trader on the New York Stock Exchange, July 20, 2021.

Source: NYSE

Wall Street will open lower on the last day of trading in July as investors digest three Dow stock earnings reports and another measurement of inflation. Nasdaq futures were at the top, down more than 1% on Friday, as Amazon stock fell nearly 7% after its first drop in sales in the premarket in three years. The Dow Jones Industrial Average and S&P 500 hit all-time highs during Thursday’s trading, breaking two-day losing streaks. But they couldn’t beat Monday’s record deals. The Nasdaq rose modestly but closed about 0.4% off its most recent record high on Monday. All three stock benchmarks tracked solid monthly returns.

2. The Fed’s most popular inflation meter is slightly below estimates

A child walks past the Marriner S. Eccles Federal Reserve Board building on Constitution Avenue, NW, Monday, April 26, 2021.

Tom Williams | CQ Roll Call, Inc. | Getty Images

The Federal Reserve’s most popular inflation meter was slightly below expectations for June. The Department of Commerce’s most recent core consumer spending index rose 3.5% year-over-year, slightly above the May surge, which was the fastest pace since the early 1990s. At the close of its July meeting on Wednesday, the Fed noted “progress” on inflation and employment targets, which was seen as a signal that a change in easy money policy, particularly monthly bond purchases, might be imminent. Central bankers made no adjustments to asset purchases and interest rates close to zero.

3. Mixed stock reactions to the profits of Dow companies

On July 12, 2021 in San Francisco, California, Chevron and Shell gas stations display gasoline prices close to $ 5.00 per gallon.

Justin Sullivan | Getty Images

Dow stock Chevron just reported a second profitable quarter in a row as improved demand for petroleum products and a surge in oil prices fueled operations. The company has also resumed its share buyback program. The oil giant made an adjusted $ 1.71 per share on revenue of $ 37.6 billion, which beat both estimates. Before the IPO, the shares rose by around 1.5%. Exxon, no longer a Dow stock, also beat estimates for earnings and sales. The shares rose in the premarket.

Caterpillar Inc. excavators will be available for sale at the Whayne Supply Co. dealer in Louisville, Kentucky, USA on Monday, January 27, 2020.

Luke Sharrett | Bloomberg | Getty Images

Caterpillar, another Dow component, lost nearly 2.5% in the premarket on Friday, despite the heavy equipment maker saying it made an adjusted $ 2.60 per share on sales of nearly $ 12.9 billion have. The industrial group is benefiting from higher infrastructure spending around the globe.

Bottles of Tide laundry detergent, a Procter & Gamble product, will go on sale at a pharmacy in Los Angeles, California on July 30, 2020.

Mario Tama | Getty Images

Procter & Gamble beat estimates on Friday with quarterly earnings and revenues as consumers bought more premium health and personal care products. Dow shares rose 1% before the IPO. P&G reported earnings per share of $ 1.13 on sales of nearly $ 19 billion. However, the company warned that rising raw material costs could hurt earnings in the coming year.

4. Amazon posts another $ 100 billion quarter but still misses

Crates move on a conveyor belt at an Amazon fulfillment center on Prime Day in Raleigh, North Carolina, the United States, on Monday, June 21, 2021.

Rachel Jessen | Bloomberg | Getty Images

According to Amazon, revenue in the second quarter rose 27% year over year to more than $ 113 billion, the third straight quarter of $ 100 billion, but actually slower growth compared to the blistering 41% increase in the same period last year . The e-commerce and cloud giant reported earnings per share of $ 15.12 for the second quarter, beating expectations. Looking ahead, Amazon warned of lower sales and a lower growth rate for the third quarter. The forecast reflected similar warnings from Facebook and Apple this week that sales growth rates would slow from pandemic highs.

5. CDC is expected to publish data on new mask recommendations

U.S. President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris will receive an update on the fight against the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic during their visit to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in Atlanta, Georgia on March 19, 2021.

Carlos Barria | Reuters

Unpublished CDC data, which formed the basis of the decision to re-recommend wearing masks indoors to fully vaccinated people in locations with high Covid transmission rates, is expected to be released on Friday, according to The Washington Post. The internal CDC document that the Post received shows that the Delta variant is as contagious as chickenpox. It also shows that vaccinated people who become infected with Delta can spread it just as easily as unvaccinated people. Members of Congress were briefed on the CDC data by director Rochelle Walensky on Thursday, the Post reported.

– Reuters contributed to this report. Follow the whole market like a pro on CNBC Pro. Get the latest on the pandemic with coronavirus coverage from CNBC.

Ellen Pompeo’s love scenes on Gray’s Anatomy Affected Husband

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When McDreamy turns into your worst nightmare.

Ellen Pompeo recently revealed that her husband of 14 years, Chris Ivery, wasn’t always a fan of Patrick Dempsey‘s character (Derek Shepherd or McDreamy) on Grey’s Anatomy.

During an interview on the podcast “Ladies First with Laura Brown”, the ABC star spoke openly about her husband’s initial reaction to her hot kissing scenes with Patrick – who played her love interest and her future husband in the hit television series.

“The poor guy had no idea what he was getting into,” said the ABC star in an interview on Tuesday, July 27th. “I remember it was really hard for him at the beginning. He said,” This is not what I signed. You go to work and mess with it. ‘I like Patrick and everything, he’s a good guy, but really?’ “

Despite leaving the show in 2015, Patrick made an epic return to season 17 in April.

12 scenic waterfalls to go to and not using a passport

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Havasu Falls in Supai, Arizona.

Image for article titled 12 Picturesque Waterfalls To Visit Without A Passport

Photo: By Juancat (Shutterstock)

Arizona is known (among other things) as a dry, hot, inland desert state, but as a state with crystal blue lagoons and waterfalls? Not as much. So I was surprised to find one of the nicest water pools in Supai, Ariz. Havasu waterfalls is located in the Native Havasupai Reserve in a remote location that is only accessible with a permit and an overnight stay at the campsite or lodge in the Supai Village. Prepare for a high-intensity and challenging hike to the falls. Bring your own water and snacks as you will be en route for four hours.

During your adventure you will see three magnificent waterfalls: Lower Navajo, which is 15 meters high, and the two smaller Havasu waterfalls cascade into a waterfall beautiful turquoise pool. Unfortunately, with COVID-19 still a risk, Havasu Falls will remain closed until 2022. But people come from all over the world to see these cases, which means it’s difficult to get a permit, so it’s not a bad idea to start planning now for next year.

6 of the weirdest canine behaviors (and why they do it)

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Image for article titled 6 Weirdest Dog Behaviors (and Why They Do It)

Photo: By Gladskikh Tatiana (Shutterstock)

Many dogs have instinctive hangovers from centuries ago, when they weren’t nearly as domesticated as they are today. One of these behaviors is circling sleeping areas, which could astound you or make you laugh.

Accordingly Live science, However, it’s an instinct left over from old dogs who lived in the wild and had to make their own beds, as well as fending off predators like snakes and other animals that lurked in unseen areas. Going around an area would also convey to other dogs that a territory has been claimed, explained Leslie Irvine, a sociologist at the University of Colorado. “Although our dogs now sleep on pillows, the behavior persists,” she told the publication.

Clare Crawley removes breast implants and is being sincere about her restoration

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Former Bachelorette Star Clare Crawley is ready to live her best life without breast implants.

But first, the reality star reveals the reality of the recovery process – the good, the bad, and the graphics.

The 40-year-old recently underwent explant surgery after announcing plans to have her breast implants removed for health reasons earlier this month. On Saturday, July 31st, two days after her surgery, Clare shared a selfie video of herself on her Instagram story wearing an ace wrap around a sports bra to reduce swelling, with partially filled ones surgical drains.

The silicone tubes and containers are used temporarily after implant removal and other breast plastic surgery to remove blood and other fluids from surgical sites and can help speed recovery.

“I still feel great,” wrote Clare. “No painkillers. And best of all … no more itchy rashes! I’ve had them every now and then for 5 years … my skin feels amazing!” [crying emoji] #proper reasons for doing this “

Cash mules for withdrawing refunds

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Do you know who your teen is in touch with on social media?

Crooks use Instagram, Snapchat and TikTok to separate teenagers from their money, either by receiving their bank details or by scamming them into acting as “money mules”.

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Crooks use social media to separate teenagers from their money, either by looking up their bank details or through money mule scamsPhoto credit: Getty

Philip Robinson, director of fraud prevention at Lloyds Bank, said: “Scammers are popping up on social media with offers to make quick cash by withdrawing money from their account. They use fake photos and profiles to attract people. “

The Sun has seen dozens of accounts that promise easy ways to make quick money.

However, these are scams in which young people lose their money or even have a criminal record.

Ashley Hart, chief of TSB fraud, said, “The overwhelming majority of scams now involve social media, either directly or through the use of personal information from the platforms, and money mules recruitment is widespread.”

Here we introduce some of the most common tricks used on social networks.

Recognize disadvantages in social networks

THE Lender TSB has the following advice:

  • WATCH OUT FOR CELEBRITY REGULATIONS. Scammers often use fake pictures or celebs or quotes to scam you on social media. As The Sun reported on Friday, an NHS nurse lost a month’s salary to a fake currency dealer recommended on Katie Price’s Instagram page. Don’t trust something because it has a familiar face.
  • GO DIRECTLY. When you see an ad for a product you like, go straight to the company’s official website. Don’t buy through messaging or social media.
  • PAY SECURELY. Avoid bank transfers and insist on paying by card or PayPal (use the ‘goods and services’ option, not ‘friends and family’). That way you can get a refund.
  • NEVER SHARE YOUR DATA. Payment options for “borrowing” your bank account for money transfers or using your card details are all disadvantages. You will act as a money mule and could go to jail. You will find it practically impossible to get a loan for years to come.

Money mule

CROOKS post pictures of bundles of money claiming that social media users can make quick money by “cash flipping”.

For example, they could send you £ 1,000 on the condition that you send most of it. . . but can keep £ 200 for your efforts.

Scammers post pictures of bundles of money claiming that social media users can make quick money by “cash flipping”

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Scammers post pictures of bundles of money claiming that social media users can make quick money by “cash flipping”Photo credit: Getty

It sounds simple – tempting even. But it’s money laundering and a criminal offense.

Money laundering allows fraudsters to use money that they have acquired illegally – for example through fraud, drugs or other criminal activity – without it being traced.

Even if you don’t realize that you are being used as a money mule, it is possible that you have a criminal record.

You may be prohibited from having a bank account or opening credit accounts in the future, e.g. B. to buy a cell phone or take out car insurance.

Almost 6,000 14 to 18 year olds were made to become money mules in 2019.

According to the fraud prevention agency Cifas, that means a 73 percent increase in two years.

Good business goes wrong

WHEN Sam *, 15, saw a seller on Instagram selling Nike Air Jordan sneakers for £ 200, he thought he’d found a brilliant offer.

He wrote the seller a message and agreed to pay the purchase price by bank transfer.

Sam * saw a seller on Instagram ad coaches for £ 200

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Sam * saw a seller on Instagram ad coaches for £ 200Photo credit: Nike

But it was all a scam and Sam never received the goods he paid good money for.

Fortunately, his bank – Lloyds – returned the sum after telling her what had happened.

Sam admitted, “Now I feel stupid for falling for a bargain.”

  • * Names have been changed to protect identities

Debit Refund Fraud

KELLY * was struggling to pay her bills when she saw an Instagram post promising to get them refunded.

But it was a scam and she ended up taking £ 2,181 out of her pocket.

Scammers use social media to lure victims by claiming they can recover direct debit and debit card payments

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Scammers use social media to lure victims by claiming they can recover direct debit and debit card paymentsCredit: Alamy

Scammers are using social media to lure victims like Kelly by claiming they can reclaim direct debit and debit card payments for services like Netflix and Uber Eats, as well as auto insurance and phone contracts.

Once you provide your online banking details, they will request refunds on your behalf via direct debit – a system that allows real customers to dispute payments that they believe have been incorrectly charged.

The refund will appear in your account and you will pay the fraudster 50 percent of their fee.

But the companies making the refunds will question them and if they prove that the payments were indeed made correctly, your bank will repay them so you don’t pay the fraudster’s “fee”.

Why Electricity Bills Are Up By £ 150

ENERGY companies are urged today not to increase their bills to the new, higher price cap.

On Friday, Ofgem will raise the typical user cap by £ 150 to £ 1,288.

Ofgem will raise the typical user cap by £ 150 to £ 1,288 on Friday

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Ofgem will raise the typical user cap by £ 150 to £ 1,288 on FridayPhoto credit: Getty

Large energy companies usually have tariffs set up to the ceiling or within £ 1.

But the upper limit should be an absolute limit, not a target price.

The move affects 11 million families on “standard” tariffs – those who have not changed provider in the past year.

Your annual bill will grow from £ 1,138 to around £ 1,288 – a high since the cap was introduced in January 2019.

Ofgem sets the upper limit, taking into account the wholesale cost of gas and leccy to suppliers.

The chief of supervisors, Jonathan Brearley, explains the climb and what you can do.

NEWS that energy costs are rising will be especially difficult for many families grappling with the effects of the pandemic.

As countries emerge from lockdown, global gas prices have hit record highs.

Unfortunately, this drives up prices for families, including electricity and gas.

There is an upper energy price limit for customers who have not changed.

It acts as a safety net by setting an upper limit on how much energy companies can charge for each unit of electricity and gas they supply to their customers.

The cap allows them to pass on only legitimate costs and prevents suppliers from making improper profits.

They can’t charge customers more than the cap even though they charge less.

As the energy regulator, Ofgem updates the upper limit twice a year.

RECORD PRICES

Record gas prices will be reflected in the new cap and could add around £ 150 to bills from October 1st.

This will affect around 11 million customers with variable or failure rates and four million with prepayment counters.

Record gas prices have already driven up the prices of fixed-contract deals entering the market.

My message to all Sun readers who are concerned about paying their utility bills is to contact your supplier to access the support available.

Shop around for a better deal.

We have strict rules to make sure they are helping their customers, especially the weak.

Where no help is given, we will not hesitate to act.

How to switch

  • USE price comparison websites or call various energy companies to find out what you can save by switching provider.
  • Be aware that price comparison sites won’t take into account the higher price cap until October 1st. By comparing deals beforehand, you should be able to save even more than advertised.
  • FOR those who do not want to or cannot change their utility, contact your utility company. It should be able to get you a better deal.
  • It can take up to 21 days for a switch to complete. Usually it takes about 17 days.

Conman, who led a high life on £ 24,000 Porsche and £ 1.2 million cash, was sentenced to 37 years in prison

The Treasury Division is sanctioning the Cuban police and their leaders for cracking down on protests

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A woman holds a sign that reads “America Open Your Eyes” as people wave Cuban and US flags to show support for Cubans who oppose their government during a Freedom rally at the Freedom Tower in Miami on July 17, 2021 to demonstrate. – Cuba’s President Miguel Diaz-Canel condemned on July 17 what he said was a false account of the unrest on the Caribbean island when the communist regime vigorously backed down against allusions of historically widespread discontent. (Photo by Eva Marie UZCATEGUI / AFP) (Photo by EVA MARIE UZCATEGUI / AFP via Getty Images)

EVA MARIE UZCATEGUI | AFP | Getty Images

WASHINGTON – The Biden government imposed another round of sanctions against Cuba’s police force and their leaders for violently cracking down on peaceful protests that broke out on the island more than two weeks ago.

The Treasury Department’s sanctions affect Cuban police director Oscar Callejas Valcarce and his deputy Eddy Sierra Arias, as well as the island’s police force.

“The Treasury Department will continue to designate and name those who facilitate the involvement of the Cuban regime in serious human rights abuses,” wrote Andrea Gacki, director of the Office of Foreign Assets Control, in a statement announcing the sanctions.

“Today’s action is designed to further hold those responsible for suppressing the Cuban people’s demands for freedom and respect for human rights to account,” the statement said.

Last week Washington imposed sanctions on the Cuban Defense Minister and the Communist Nation’s Special Forces Brigade for suppressing peaceful protests that broke out on the island.

The US sanctions came with a warning that if the Cuban government did not rectify the situation, there would be more.

“This is just the beginning – the United States will continue to punish those responsible for suppressing the Cuban people,” President Joe Biden said in a July 22 statement.

Earlier this month, thousands of protesters filled the streets in frustration at a paralyzed economy hit by food and electricity shortages.

The rare protests, the largest the communist country has seen since the 1990s, come as the government struggles to contain the coronavirus pandemic and marginalize the island’s fragile health system.

Protesters gather outside the Versailles restaurant to support the people of Cuba who took to the streets to protest in Miami, Florida on July 11, 2021.

Joe Raedle | Getty Images

Cuban President Diaz-Canel Bermudez said his regime was “ready to do anything” to quell the protests, according to a Washington Post report.

“We will fight in the streets,” he said, adding that the United States was partly responsible for the widespread dissatisfaction in Cuba.

A day later, he appeared alongside members of his government, blaming US trade sanctions for stifling Cuba’s growth.

In response to statements made by the Cuban President, Foreign Secretary Antony Blinken told reporters last week that the United States was not responsible for the list of problems plaguing Havana.

Blinken said Cubans are “tired of the mismanagement of the Cuban economy, lack of adequate food and of course an adequate response to the Covid-19 pandemic”.

“This is what we hear and see in Cuba, and that is a reflection of the Cuban people, not the United States or any other outside actor,” Blinken said.

The perfect and worst meals for composting

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Image for article titled The Best and Worst Foods To Compost

Photo: Lomiso (Shutterstock)

As a proponent of composting (or at least Use kitchen waste as plant food) we are always on the lookout for tips and tricks that can improve or (even better) make the process easier. This also includes knowing what should and shouldn’t end up on the compost heap or in the bin.

Happily, Maki Yazawa from Well + Good wrote an article Point out the best and worst foods to compost. Here’s what you should know.

The best foods to compost

Accordingly Yazawa’s research– Including expert interviews – there are some of the best foods to compost:

coffee and tea

This one is well known, but a classic for good reason: Coffee grounds contain nitrogen, which helps with composting. If you use unbleached coffee filters, they can also be composted. The same applies to tea: as long as the tea bag is biodegradable and made of compostable materials, just throw the whole thing in.

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fruit

Fruits are popular additions to compost heaps in general, thanks to all of the nutrients they provide. However, some parts take longer to break down, such as avocado or stone fruit pits (such as peaches and nectarines) or hard peels (such as some types of melons). It’s also a good idea to keep track of the amount of acidic fruits – like tomatoes and citrus fruits – that you add to the compost heap as they can affect its pH.

vegetables

Vegetables are now much easier to compost, mainly because they can be processed whole, as leftovers, rotten, cooked or raw.

Leftovers

Leftovers, including “untreated vegetables, grains and pasta, and lean boneless meat and protein” can all be composted. Yazawa writes.

The worst foods to compost

While most foods can technically be added to a compost heap, that is Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) advises against ingesting the following items – primarily because they can cause bad smells or attract pests:

  • Dairy products such as butter, milk, sour cream, yogurt
  • Eggs (although eggshells are fine)
  • Fats, fats, lard or oils
  • Meat or fish bones

Finally the EPA says to avoid composting leaves or branches of the black walnut tree as they release substances that can be harmful to plants.

Dr. Scott Gottlieb estimates that as much as 1 million Individuals will turn into contaminated with Covid each day because the delta spreads

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Dr. Scott Gottlieb told CNBC on Friday that he believes the coronavirus is significantly more widespread in the United States than official case numbers reflect as the highly contagious Delta variant is sweeping the nation.

“I wouldn’t be surprised if we are currently infecting by and large up to a million people a day and we are ingesting maybe a tenth or less than a tenth of that,” the former said the commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration in one Interview with “Squawk Box”. Gottlieb is now on the board of directors of the Covid vaccine manufacturer Pfizer.

The current seven-day average of new daily coronavirus cases in the US is around 67,000, according to a CNBC analysis of Johns Hopkins University data. That’s 53% more than a week ago as the country grapples with a surge in new infections, mainly caused by deltas first discovered in India and now the predominant variety in the US

“What it reflects is a reality where you have a highly communicable variant that is currently widespread in the US and is mainly spreading in a population that is either vaccinated and developing mild or no symptoms, or is in one younger population, who are also less likely to develop symptoms because they are younger and healthier, “said Gottlieb when asked by Andrew Ross Sorkin, co-host of the” Squawk Box, “how the doctor commented on his” amazing “estimate of 1 Million new infections per day.

“Most of the spread and most of the people who show up at the hospital are younger people. If the infection occurs there, there must be a lot more infections under the little counter that shows up in the hospital, ”added Gottlieb, who headed the FDA in the Trump administration from 2017 to 2019. He has become a closely watched voice during the pandemic who routinely appears on CNBC and other media to offer his analysis of the health crisis.

The highest 7-day average of new Covid cases registered in the US was around 251,000 on January 8, according to CNBC analysis. The number of cases had dropped dramatically in the spring as the country’s vaccination campaign gained momentum.

But in the past few weeks as the U.S. cases accelerated again, Gottlieb said large numbers of coronavirus infections were likely not to be reported, in part because the testing landscape is now different from previous stages of the pandemic. In the early days, Gottlieb suggested that the actual case numbers were much higher than the official numbers due to scarce testing resources.

Well, he said it was a different situation where the discrepancy between the number of cases and the actual number of infections is due to people who remain asymptomatic or who only develop mild symptoms who are not tested. Additionally, Gottlieb previously told CNBC staff that they can now do tests at home and these results are unlikely to end up with health officials and then show up in official case numbers.

On Friday, Gottlieb reiterated his view that the US is much further into the tide of delta-driven infections than others believe. “This delta wave will likely pass sometime in September,” he predicted.

Gottlieb’s comments on Friday came after the Washington Post and other media outlets, including CNBC, reported a leaked document from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on the risks of the Delta variant.

The health agency document, authenticated by the U.S. agency to CNBC, stated that the Delta variant is as communicable as chickenpox, and suggested that vaccinated people may be just as easily able to pass the strain on to others as unvaccinated people.

The studies and data contained in the document were seen as key drivers in the CDC’s reversal to masks earlier this week. The agency now recommends that all people, including those who have been vaccinated, wear face covers in rooms with high transmission.

– CNBC’s Nate Rattner contributed to this report.

Disclosure: Scott Gottlieb is a CNBC employee and a member of the board of directors of Pfizer, genetic testing startup Tempus, health technology company Aetion Inc., and biotechnology company Illumina. He is also co-chair of the Healthy Sail Panel of Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings and Royal Caribbean.

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