After being diagnosed with the COVID-19 Delta variant, a veteran is admitted to the hospital. Joe Pucci, 73, of Ambridge, claimed he is fully vaccinated; but he had COVID-19 symptoms on his birthday, June 21, and went to the Pittsburgh VA Medical Center to be examined.

Pucci was sent to the intensive care unit because he was having difficulties breathing. Doctors moved him from the ICU to a normal room on Monday night after he reported he was feeling much better. He told WPXI that he did not think he would make it. He believes the vaccination saved his life.

Veteran may not survive the Delta variant if not vaccinated

His family claims he has diabetes and other underlying health problems. Doctors told his daughter that if it had not been for early treatment, Pucci might not have survived. The veteran also attributes his success to vaccinations. The fully vaccinated veteran spent a few weeks in South Carolina before becoming ill then traveled to Beaver County for a graduation party and a veterans ceremony.

Rachelle Pucci, his daughter, said she was worried about her father since he had underlying health issues such as high blood pressure, diabetes, and lung ailments. Her family is unsure how her father got the Delta variant because he hasn't been out much recently, according to her.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) officials, scientists are still figuring out how effective the vaccines are against new variants, especially against the highly contagious Delta variant. It is still possible for individuals who have been fully vaccinated to contract COVID-19, but experts say the immunization helps lower the risk of becoming ill.

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Delta variant becomes dominant in the US

Per KOAT, as more states fully reopen, health professionals are raising red flags as the Delta variant of COVID-19 becomes the most common. According to the CDC, the delta variant is responsible for more than 51% of new COVID-19 infections in the United States. The variant, also known as B.1.617.2, was first discovered in India.

President Joe Biden said on Tuesday that the White House is forming COVID-19 surge response teams to prevent another outbreak of coronavirus infections due to the Delta variant's increasing threat. The delta variant of COVID-19 is 50% more infectious than the original strain, as per health experts. It appears to significantly increase an unvaccinated person's chances of being hospitalized, experts added.

New COVID-19 infections with the Delta variant currently account for 51.7% of all infections. After months of being the dominant variety, the B.1.1.7 or Alpha variant now represents 28.7% of cases.

The World Health Organization (WHO) identifies the Delta variant as a "variant of concern." According to surveillance data, a rise from 30.4 percent to 51.7 percent occurred in the two weeks between June 20 and July 3.

According to Johns Hopkins University, more than 33.7 million coronavirus infections have been documented in the United States, with more than 605,000 individuals dying as a result of the illness. In the last week, over 11,000 new COVID-19 infections have been found per day, with approximately 200 fatalities recorded.

 Dr. Anthony Fauci, head of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, dubbed the Delta variant as the "biggest threat" to America's quest to exterminate the pandemic. Fauci also expressed his concern about the dangers that communities with low vaccination rates face and pose to the rest of society when new variants emerge, The Independent reported.

Related Article: CDC Launches Investigation Following Teen's Death After Receiving Second Dose of Pfizer COVID-19 Vaccine

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