Reditus Laboratories reports a rise in Delta variant; CEO calls it “substantial”

Posted on July 21, 2021
Reditus Laboratories recently discovered 64 Delta variants out of a pool of 364 randomly selected positive COVID-19 samples. (Photo courtesy: Reditus Laboratories) 

By Blake Haas

PEKIN – Cases of COVID-19 are on the rise, and Reditus Laboratories recently identified 64 Delta variant cases during its sequencing run on July 16, and the company CEO called it “substantial.”

In May, Reditus Laboratories discovered one case of the Delta variant and later found two cases in June, according to Reditus Laboratories CEO Dr. Aaron Rossi. However, the laboratory recently identified 67 cases of the delta variant, with 18 of those cases coming from Peoria and Bloomington-Normal.

“Variants are of concern because they are potentially more contagious and may have potential resistance to the vaccines,” said Paul Sweich with Reditus Laboratories. “The Delta variant, first identified in India and confirmed in the United States in April, is believed to be more transmissible than previous strains of the virus.”

According to a news release, the lab recently ran 364 randomly selected positive COVID-19 samples. Results indicated 64 cases test positive for the Delta variant, 154 cases of the United Kingdom variant, and 107 samples indicated cases of the Brazilian variant.

Blake Haas can be reached at [email protected].

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