A closer look at the Delta variant’s threat to recoveries

The spread of the Delta variant of COVID-19 poses a much bigger risk to economic recoveries in emerging markets than in developed markets. India, South Africa, and South East Asia have suffered already or are suffering. And limited vaccine coverage in much of Latin America, other parts of Asia and Africa mean that the threat of future outbreaks will persist. That adds to reasons to expect that GDP will return to its pre-crisis path more slowly than elsewhere.