As delta variant causes surge in cases, officials closely watching new mutation

Slowing down the spread of the delta variant has been a main focus, but now health officials are keeping a close eye on the delta plus variant. The mutation has already been detected in Minnesota.

Health officials said these variants make it harder to get to herd immunity creating a bumpy road back to normal but some Minnesotans explained the show must go on.

St. Anthony Village Fest is bouncing back after COVID-19 brought it to a standstill.

People and animals flocked to the fair for food and games taking a shot at normalcy.

"We’ve been dealing with COVID, and we had a quick break being a little safe, but now that this virus has come back it’s scarier than ever," St. Anthony Village Fest attendee Naomi Teshome said.

Different variants are emerging across the country. The newest upgrade is delta plus, which is a sub-type of the delta variant.

"Nobody controls this. Nature is dealing us a tough hand in the first place and it’s dealing an even tougher hand the second time around," Dr. Frank Rhame, an Allina Health Infectious Disease Specialist, said.

Health officials said the delta plus variant carries an extra mutation, making it different from the original delta variant.

Dr. Rhame said the good news is, so far, delta plus is not spreading as quickly as the delta variant.

"It’ll be so great if we get people more vaccinated because that was slowing down the spread of the virus and give the virus fewer opportunities to look into yet additional mutations," he said.

He explained being cautious is your best bet and staying outdoors makes it less likely for you to catch the delta variant.

"I think the density of people has to be really high, and the energy is relatively high or the super spreader pretty high before you’re in danger," Dr. Rhame said.

Some Minnesotans said they aren’t letting the pandemic rain on their parade.

"I just want to live my life and have a good time. I’m not really worried about it," St. Anthony Village Fest attendee Cindy Anderson said.

It’s too early to tell if the delta plus variant is more contagious than the delta variant but health experts said the vaccine is doing its job protecting against severe disease and death.