Delta Variant Makes Up 40% Of COVID-19 Cases In Colorado, Health Department Says

(CBS4) -- The Delta variant is now estimated to make up 40% of cases in Colorado. This is the variant that originated from India.

Health officials say nearly every single case in Mesa County on the Western Slope is the Delta variant. That's an area with a lower vaccination rate. The San Luis Valley is also seeing an increases in cases.

Doctors say this strain is 50% more transmissible than the U.K. variant.

Virus variants, particularly the Delta variant, have been a top concern for many experts when it comes to those who remain unvaccinated against the coronavirus.

"If you are unvaccinated and exposed to COVID now, your chances of becoming infected are much greater than they were earlier in the pandemic," officials said Monday.