Delta variant: How transmissible is the COVID variant spreading in the UK and elsewhere?

6/15/21 7:00PM

Despite a strong vaccination programme, the UK has had to put plans for a full re-opening of its economy on hold, as the Delta variant of COVID — first identified in India — has quickly become the dominant variant in the country.

Data from Public Health England reveals how the rise in Delta cases in England has far outstripped any previous variant that has been identified — suggesting it is substantially more transmissible. Estimates currently peg the R0 (reproduction number) for the Delta variant between 5 and 8, compared to an R0 of about 3 for the variant that caused Europe's first wave.

That may sound concerning, but the latest data also suggests that vaccinations are still highly effective at preventing hospitalizations for those who catch the Delta variant. 2 doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine were found to be 96% effective against hospitalizations for Delta, and 2 doses of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine were found to be 92% effective.

In the US, Delta cases remain more sparse, but are reportedly doubling roughly every 2 weeks. Acknowledging the potential threat from Delta, the CDC labelled the Delta strain a "variant of concern" this week.

J. Edward Moreno11/4/25

Starbucks sells control of China business for $4 billion

Starbucks disclosed on Monday evening in a regulatory filing that it will sell control of its ailing China business to Boyu Capital for about $4 billion.

Under the agreement, Boyu will own a 60% stake in the China segment, which will become a joint venture between Boyu and Starbucks. The coffee chain will retain a 40% interest in the entity and will continue to own and license the brand and intellectual property.

Bloomberg reported earlier this year that the company was looking to sell its China segment. The American coffee giant has struggled to succeed in China, its second-largest market after the US.

Tom Jones

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OPEC and others are boosting oil production as the race to catch up with the US goes on

This month’s 137,000-barrel-a-day boost is a little more modest than some expected.

Millie Giles

RED FLAG, GREEN FLAG

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China, the world’s largest carbon polluter, has pledged to cut emissions for the first time

President Xi Jinping has announced that China is aiming to slash carbon emissions by up to 10% in the next decade.

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Claire Yubin Oh9/19/25

John Wayne Airport in Orange County tops the list of North America’s favorite airports

Despite a record year of passenger numbers, flight cancellations, and delays, a new survey has revealed that flyers have been increasingly satisfied about their experiences in North American airports.

According to this year’s North America Airport Satisfaction Study from data analysts at J.D. Power, overall passenger satisfaction scores were up 10 points (on a 1,000-point scale), largely from “improvements in food, beverage and retail and ease of travel through the airport.” The annual survey measures overall traveler satisfaction across the region’s airports in seven categories (in order of importance): ease of travel, level of trust, terminal facilities, airport staff, airport departure experience, food and retail, and airport arrival experience.

Here are the region’s favorites:

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More than 40% of American adults now report being online “almost constantly”

While a new survey showed Japan has the greatest share of perpetually online people, there was a significant number reporting not using the internet at all.

Delta variant: How transmissible is the COVID variant spreading in the UK and elsewhere?

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Starbucks sells control of China business for $4 billion

John Wayne Airport in Orange County tops the list of North America’s favorite airports

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