Delta variant infecting mounting number of people in rural Kansas and Missouri

The delta coronavirus variant is infecting a mounting number of people in rural Kansas and Missouri.

The delta coronavirus variant is infecting a mounting number of people in rural Kansas and Missouri. The variant, first detected in India in October, has also been detected in at least 41 U.S. states, per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which upgraded its classification of the strain this week from "variant of interest" to a "variant of concern." The CDC estimates delta accounts for about 10% of new cases. Missouri had the highest percentage of the delta variant at 6.8% of reported cases as of latest CDC data reported May 22. Data from the CDC shows high community transmission in rural parts of Missouri and Kansas -- regions already struggling with slow vaccination rates.