The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services (DHSS) has issued a health advisory in relation to the emergence of the delta COVID-19 variant strain in Missouri.
The health advisory was sent to Missouri health care providers.
The highest proportion of the variant is detected in the southwest region of Missouri, which accounts for just over 67% of all delta variants identified within the state.
About 34.8% of all variant viruses detected in the nation are in Health and Senior Services Region 7, which includes Missouri, Kansas, Iowa and Nebraska.
DHSS emphasized that social distancing and appropriate masking remain very important countermeasures for unvaccinated individuals.
The CDC states most cases of the delta variant were in young people who had not yet been vaccinated. The variant appeared to be far more transmissible with every person infecting several others.
Analysis of recent CDC data shows the top symptoms of the delta variant infection are headache, followed by a runny nose and/or a sore throat. Fever and cough were less common, as well as the loss of smell.
