Social Media Users Claim Scientists Can’t Detect Delta, Other Variants

A misunderstanding of how variants are detected is fueling doubt that the Delta variant exists. Social media posts with thousands of engagements on multiple platforms have falsely claimed that health officials are unable to prove that the Delta variant is real because there is no specific test to detect it. In reality, routine clinical testing, usually via PCR, can detect Delta and other SARS-CoV-2 variants, but genetic analysis is required to determine the variant’s lineage. This additional analysis, which uses genomic sequencing to identify mutations in positive samples and compare them to the original viral strain, is important for the correct classification of positive COVID-19 samples and for the identification and tracking of emerging variants. The Delta variant is real, highly contagious, and currently accounts for more than 83 percent of new COVID-19 cases in the US.

Recommendation: Passive Response Read More +