Tag Archives: Delta Variant

The Delta Variant: What You Should Know

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Delta variant is causing vaccine breakthrough infections.

The Delta variant is an example of how the virus that causes COVID-19 can change as it spreads and has caused nearly 75% of the current infections in the U.S., according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

New evidence is showing that the delta variant is as contagious as chickenpox and this has prompted U.S. health officials to consider changing advice on wearing masks.

The CDC is encouraging all Americans to get vaccinated, recommending masks for everyone and requiring vaccines for doctors and other health care providers.

If you are fully vaccinated, your risk of infection is lower, but some people can still spread the Delta variant. When “breakthrough cases” of COVID-19 do occur in vaccinated people, nearly all are avoiding serious illness, hospitalization, or death. cdc.gov/coronavirus

To maximize protection from the Delta variant and prevent possibly spreading it to others, wear a mask indoors in public if you are in an area of substantial or high transmission.

For schools, CDC recommends universal indoor masking for all teachers, staff, students, and visitors to K-12 schools, regardless of vaccination status. Children should return to full-time in-person learning in the fall with layered prevention strategies in place.

References:

  1. https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html

Delta Variant Infecting Unvaccinated

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Only about 46 percent of the U.S. population is vaccinated. Politico

In the U.S. Midwest and South, the highly transmissible Delta variant is spreading quickly among the unvaccinated population, according to federal health officials.

But many people who are not vaccinated are also resistant to wearing masks and are ignoring recommendations to avoid crowded indoor spaces, heightening the virus spread. Only about 46 percent of the U.S. population is vaccinated, and the number of doses administered has fallen, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

The federal government will try to convince hesitant Americans to get vaccinated by communicating the benefits of the shots. But, President Biden’s team is not confident that a new campaign will change hearts and minds of the reluctant.

Additionally, the Biden administration acknowledged that the U.S. will not reach its goal of having 70% of adults vaccinated by the July 4th Holiday.

Delta variant

New Covid-19 infections have increased by more than 50 percent over the last two weeks in under-vaccinated states. Many of the cases are tied to the Delta variant, which the CDC says now accounts for one-fifth of new infections nationwide. The Delta variant, which was first identified in India, is more infectious than previous coronavirus strains.

“Based on the data that we have right now, the Delta variant is more transmissible than Alpha,” the strain that has predominated in the U.S. this spring, said Summer Galloway, a senior adviser at CDC.

The CDC is currently in the midst of conducting studies to pin down just how well the current vaccines protect against Delta and what impact it has on the unvaccinated population, particularly children. Additionally, the CDC is studying whether the Delta variant leads to more severe infections in undervaccinated communities.

Ending COVID-19

The hope was that once the nation reached herd immunity, the virus would die out. As a result of the Delta variant, the current level of vaccine immunity is insufficient to end the pandemic in the United States.

The higher the contagion, the larger share of the population must be immune. To end the pandemic, a majority of the unvaccinated in the United States must gain immunity, and the best way is through vaccines

The good news is that recent data shows the Pfizer vaccine is nearly 90 percent effective against Delta, making vaccination one of the most effective ways to stop the variant’s march across the U.S.

The CDC continues to encourage people who are unvaccinated to wear masks and avoid crowded indoor gatherings.

Dr. Michael Ryan, executive director of the WHO’s World Emergencies Programme, said the Delta strain should make the world “more cautious, more diligent, and more dedicated to” following health protocols.

References:

  1. https://www.politico.com/news/2021/06/26/white-house-vaccination-delta-variant-496343
  2. https://www.forbes.com/sites/alisondurkee/2021/06/25/who-urges-fully-vaccinated-people-to-continue-wearing-masks-as-delta-variant-spreads-but-no-word-from-cdc/amp/
  3. https://khn.org/morning-breakout/perspectives-delta-variant-spreading-rapidly-among-unvaccinated-steps-to-avoid-another-pandemic/