What Should We Know About the COVID Delta Variant
It’s been about two months since I’ve taken care of a COVID patient. (There have been more, like, once a week, but I just randomly wasn’t assigned to those patients). But after a fun 4th of July pool party, I began to hear more about the delta variant — a different strain of COVID-19 (aka SARS-COVID-2). What happened the next day? Of course, I get a COVID-positive patient. It was time to learn more about the variant and our treatment process for it.
Viruses mutate. That’s why we need new flu vaccines every year. That’s normal. B.1.1.7 = Alpha variant B.1.617.2 = Delta variant. We should know that available vaccines work against the delta and other variants (AP News).
WHERE DID IT BEGIN?/HOW DID IT HAPPEN?
Viruses have been around forever. They are probably older than humans. Essentially, they are non-living entities that as so simple physiologically that they need complex living organisms, like humans, to replicate themselves. They replicate so fast, that sometimes random mutations occur that may help or hinder the viruses’ survival.
WHERE DID IT COME FROM?
Alpha variant came from the UK, whereas the Delta Variant came from India.
HOW MUCH MORE CONTAGIOUS IS IT?
Delta Variant has been said to be “fitter and faster” but not any more dangerous than the original. To put it into perspective, the Alpha Variant is 50% more contagious than the original. And the Delta Variant is 40% more contagious than the Alpha.
WHERE IN THE US IS IT MORE CONTAGIOUS?
State flareups may have been likely because of the COVID variants. See below for graphics of the states with the highest cases due to low vaccines and vice versa.
HOW CONCERNED SHOULD WE BE?
The B.1.1.7 (Alpha), B.1.351 (Beta), B.1.617.2 (Delta), and P.1 (Gamma), variants circulating in the United States are classified as variants of concern. To date, no variants of high consequence have been identified in the United States. “Currently there are no SARS-CoV-2 variants that rise to the level of high consequence.” (https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-...)
WHAT SHOULD WE DO?
Get both vaccines. You can pick any brand such as Pfizer or Moderna. One vaccine gives ~30% protection but having both gives you ~90%. This will increase your chances of surviving and leaving the hospital even if you contract the coronavirus.
REFERENCES:
Vox https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/research...
AP https://apnews.com/article/europe-cor...
The Atlantic https://www.scribd.com/article/512265...
Delta-Variant Yale Med https://www.yalemedicine.org/news/5-t...
Next Strain https://nextstrain.org/sars-cov-2
CDC https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-...
One dose article (not peer-reviewed) https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.11...
High cases in the US where people are mostly unvaccinated https://www.washingtonpost.com/health...
Fox news how does strain differ https://www.foxnews.com/health/how-do...
Fox news lambda variant https://www.foxnews.com/health/lambda...
Viral PNG Icons made by Freepik from www.flaticon.com
