As the Delta variant of the coronavirus fuels an ongoing COVID wave, Bay Area health experts are keeping a close eye on yet another variant: Delta Plus.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe believe that it\u2019s at least as bad as Delta,\u201d said Dr. Peter Chin-Hong, an infectious disease specialist at the University of California San Francisco.READ MORE:<\/strong>UCSF Expert: ‘Right Now, Delta Is The Game In Town’; Cases, Hospitalizations Will Continue To Grow<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWe don\u2019t know if it\u2019s even worse than Delta yet. When I say worse we think about number one: is it more transmissible? Number two, does it evade vaccines? And, number three, does it make you sicker?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Santa Clara County Public Health Department has detected 46 cases of the Delta Plus mutation, according to their latest statistics. It is not the dominant strain in the area, however.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Santa Clara County provided KPIX with the following statement: \u201cThe County of Santa Clara is currently tracking the Delta variant, and the \u201cDelta plus\u201d variants on our dashboard. Cases of Delta-plus exist statewide and nationwide and there is currently not enough information on these particular variants to indicate whether they may be more concerning than the original Delta variant.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n