How Effective Are COVID-19 Vaccines Against the Delta Variant?
Sakshi has been feeling optimistic for the first time in months. It’s been more than a year since she has ventured out of her home and she could feel the entire pandemic scare receding to the background.
Sakshi is even feeling a bit more free and reckless. She wants to go out with her friends every day to make up for the lost time. She is doing her best to prepare for trips and get into anything that would help her connect with people.
Do you think that Sakshi is on the right track? Is it really safe to flaunt all the precautions and rules that we all followed during the lockdown? Are there really no more concerns? Does being fully vaccinated make her immune to the COVID-19 virus?
The Delta Variant – Our New Concern
If your behavior has been similar to Sakshi, then you need to stop right now. Because according to experts, there is still a lot of concern in regards to COVID-19. There is a new mutation of the virus, which is known as the Delta variant.
Experts claim that if not taken seriously, then the Delta variant can bring the virus back even stronger. The Delta variant is a highly contagious SARS-CoV-2 virus strain that was first identified in India in December. This variant has swept across the world and has reached countries like the United States of America and the U.K.
Specialists are not surprised by this development. According to them, viruses evolve over time and are constantly undergoing changes as they spread and replicate. The Delta variant holds true to this description and is spreading at a very fast pace.
The Delta Variant and the COVID-19 Vaccines
Sakshi has been fully vaccinated. This is why she is not so worried about the Delta variant. Have you been fully vaccinated too? But have you taken up a different approach from Sakshi and have been more cautious of the Delta variant?
If yes, then you are on the right track. Experts believe that people who are fully vaccinated against COVID-19 are at a lesser risk to the Delta variant. However, these people are still at a risk. So, the best strategy, in this case, is to follow all the guidelines and recommendations that have been out since the COVID-19 pandemic hit the world.
What More Should I Know About the Delta Variant?
Sakshi realizes that her approach to the COVID-19 lockdown and the Delta variant has not been good. She knows that she has to be smarter than this and find a balance between fun and safety. This is why she wants to learn everything that she can about the Delta variant.
Let’s help her with that.
Below is the list of the most important things you and Sakshi need to know about the Delta variant.
- Being More Contagious than Other Virus Strains
The Delta variant is also known as the B.1.617.2 variant. It is a SARS-CoV-2 mutation that originally surfaced in India. The first case of this variant was identified in December 2020 and since then, the strain has spread rapidly.
By the end of July, it is being reported that more than 80% of new COVID-19 cases are being caused by the Delta variant. These reports have been made by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
The World Health Organization (WHO) has also warned all countries against the spread of this strain. WHO has labeled the Delta variant as the ‘fastest and fittest.’ It has also been quite dramatic how the growth rate of this variant has changed so dramatically.
According to reports, the Delta variant has spread 50% faster than the Alpha variant, which was 50% more contagious than the original strain. This is one of the reasons why this virus strain has dominated every new COVID-19 case statistic so quickly.
- The Highest Risk is for Unvaccinated People
If you have not been fully vaccinated against COVID-19, then you should note that you are at the highest risk from this strain. This fact is quite apparent from statistics put forward by the highest number of unvaccinated people in different states.
In contrast, states that have high vaccinated rates also report fewer new cases of COVID-19 infection. When it comes to the Delta variant, kids and young people are also at a risk. According to reports, people under the age of 50 were 2.5 times more likely to become infected with the Delta variant.
- Hyperlocal Outbreaks due to the Delta Variant
It has already been established that the Delta variant is moving across the world quickly. This will accelerate the speed of the pandemic. And puts a big question on the understanding of transmissibility. This leads us to the question of how many people will get the Delta variant and at what rate?
The answer to this question can depend on where you live. For example, if you live in a location where people are vaccinated, then you are at a lower risk. But if people in your community are not vaccinated, then that could lead to hyperlocal outbreaks due to the Delta variant.
This would have a significant impact on how countries have been looking at the pandemic till now. It will also change how the hotspots are spread across the country.
- Need to Learn More
There are a lot of questions related to the Delta variant that almost everybody has. These questions are tough and to answer them a lot of research has to go into place. This is why the best bet here is to protect yourself and your family to the best of your ability and not to leave things up to chance.
Is Vaccination the Best Protection against the Delta Variant?
The most important thing that doctors have to say is that individuals can get a lot of protection against Delta if they are fully vaccinated. This means that if you have received two-dose vaccines like Pfizer or Moderna, then you are at a lower risk of suffering due to this strain.
However, one shouldn’t forget about the fact that you are still at risk even after getting the vaccine. This is why it is best to still follow prevention guidelines that are available for all vaccinated and unvaccinated people.
Following Guidelines to Stay Safe!
Sakshi has dropped all of her plans. She has come to the realization that all her trips with her friends and constant parties can wait. There is still a bit that we all have to do if we want to stop the spread of the COVID-19 virus. But she is curious about you.
Are you fully vaccinated? Are you still following all the prevention guidelines?
