According to a news report that was updated on CNN.com on Wednesday, June 16th, 2021, officials and experts are concerned about new Covid-19 variants that could be more dangerous and more transmissible.
According to reports, they’re concerned that people who aren’t vaccinated (and people who are only partially vaccinated) could be at risk of contracting and spreading these new, deadlier strains.
Here’s what you need to know.
What Is The Delta Variant?
According to officials, the Delta Variant is a Covid variant that was first reported in India back in February of 2021.
But now, this particular strain of the virus has gone global.
It’s been found in dozens of countries, and there’s a fear amongst specialists that it could cause a new wave of infections that could overwhelm health systems all over again.
There is even concern that it could undermine the vaccine rollout progress that’s already been made.
To date, this variant now accounts for about 6% of sequenced viral samples in the United States.
This may seem like a small number, and relatively speaking, it is. But the concerning thing about it is the speed with which it has spread.
Just a month ago, the same strain was only detected in 1% of sequenced viral samples in the United States.
Is The Delta Variant More Dangerous?
According to the CDC, the Delta Variant is considered a “variant of concern.”
This designation is used to describe strains of the virus that are either more easily transmissible, or that are more dangerous.
Surgeon General Vivek Murthy, in the above-mentioned report, told CNN.com that the Delta Variant is “rapidly increasing here in the United States.”
Murthy also said this about the strain. He said that it “appears to be significantly more transmissible than even the Alpha variant or the UK variant…”
He also said that “The second reason it’s concerning is that there is some data to indicate that it may in fact also be more dangerous, may cause more severe illness. That still needs to be understood more clearly, but these are two important concerns and they explain in part … why this has become the dominant variant in the UK, where over 90% of cases are the Delta variant.”
Are The Vaccines Effective Against The Delta Variant?
According to specialists, the vaccines do appear to be effective against the Delta Variant of the virus.
In fact, a new study has shown that the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine is 96% effective against hospitalization caused by the variant after two doses.
In Conclusion
At the end of the day, the message really remains the same.
Get vaccinated. If you’ve chosen to get the vaccines that require two doses, make sure to get both doses.
As long as you get vaccinated, it sounds like your odds of catching the Delta Variant (or getting hospitalized for it) go down by a massive margin.
The word from the CDC remains consistent.
The Covid-19 vaccines are safe and effective, and the CDC recommends that you get a Covid-19 vaccine as soon as possible.