Fighting against Covid 19 is like being in a boxing match with an unseen opponent. You don't know when it's striking you nor how to avoid its punches- infecting you with a severe disease that has killed not just thousands but millions of people.
It has been more than a year since the pandemic started. The once thought as a common cold, it turned out, to be a more severe disease - a danger to everyone. Different measures were put in place, one of which is the universal indoor masking.
Many lives have changed- it's almost impossible to regain the kind of life people used to have pre-Covid-19. The threat of the disease severity imposed on people all over the globe has increased as new coronavirus variants arise and its growth rate of infection.
The most recent transmittable strain of the coronavirus variants is the Delta variant.
What is D-variant?
Delta variant or more known as B.1.617.2, is another strain of the Covid 19 virus. According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), the Delta variant mutates on spike protein making it easier to infect human cells. Recent reports from studies conducted by medical research institutes also conclude that Delta is more contagious and is easier to spread in the communities of patients infected.
The Delta variant originated in India, discovered in late 2020. Researchers reported that the D variant is around 50% more contagious than the Alpha or the original covid virus originating from China. A patient could infect up to four other people, compared to the one to two ratios of infection through the Alpha variant as per Yale Medicine report.
Recently, the strain rapidly spread in the United States, causing approximately 80% of the new cases reported and the virus surge.
The Delta Variant Infection
1. Unvaccinated people are at high risk of infection.
Unvaccinated people have the highest risk of catching the D-variant. Many people have been hesitant to get the vaccination, arguing on the reliability of the vaccine effectiveness and efficacy in Covid infection prevention. People are scared of the negative effects of the vaccine- the death scare is circulating on the internet.
Now, the government has another enemy to fight against, other than the fatal virus and the severe disease it brings, which is ignorance and people believing information not backed by scientific research.
If you are unvaccinated, you put yourself, your family, and the people around you at risk. Vaccination is not the answer to not getting infected with the virus. However, it gives your body the set of immune cells to fight against the virus once infected. If you get the covid virus in you, it stays in your body; before you infect others, your antibodies have already fought with it and defeated it. You will not just avoid severe symptoms, but you also avoid getting hospitalized and even the chance of dying from the Covid virus infection. With a strong virus strain like the D- variant, save yourself and the people you love by getting fully vaccinated.
Communicate with your local government units and schedule your Covid vaccination as soon as you can. Be responsible, practice the safety measures against the Delta variant. A vaccinated person helps curb the spread of the virus.
2. Full Covid Vaccination Protects against D-variant
The good news amidst the discovery of the new covid virus strain is that vaccination protects you from the severe symptoms of the new variant. Protect yourself by being fully vaccinated with any Covid 19 vaccines available for you. You can get two doses of vaccines like Pfizer, Moderna, AstraZeneca, and Sinovac or one dose of the J&J Covid vaccine.
Recently, health and research institutions are looking into fully vaccinated people and how the Delta variant can cause them the infection. Rare cases of fully vaccinated people get infected with the Delta variant. The estimate vaccine effectiveness varies per vaccine.
According to the preliminary analysis of the research conducted by Public Health England, full vaccination of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine is reported to be about 88% effective against disease and 96% effective against hospitalization with the Delta variant. On the other hand, the AstraZeneca vaccine appears to be about 60% effective against the disease and 93% effective against hospitalization.
Vaccine developers are still looking into further studies and more data, opening possibilities for booster shots for better protection against the Delta variant and other emerging variants shortly. According to the CNN report, Pfizer has first announced its intent to seek FDA authorization for a booster dose in August.
As of writing, there are 55 new cases of the Delta variant in the Philippines according to the Department of Health (DOH). In addition, 37 of the new cases were local, infected people who had no international travel history, while the remaining 17 were returning overseas Filipinos (ROF). Adding to the previous data, the Philippines has a total of 119 Delta cases.
According to Rappler's latest news report, the 37 local cases were from the following regions:
Calabarzon – 14
Northern Mindanao – 8
Metro Manilla – 6
Central Luzon – 6
Davao Region – 2
Ilocos Region – 1
One death has been reported while 54 are tagged as recovered per DOH. Currently, active Covid 19 cases in the country are of Alpha, 179 Beta, 9P.3, and Delta variants.
There is still a lot to discover about the Delta variant. Several questions about its severity arise as many people are more informed of its threats.
Does the Delta variant make you sicker compared to other strains?
A study from Scotland concluded that the Delta variant is about twice as likely as the Alpha variant to result in hospitalization for unvaccinated individuals. This initial result from this primary study may change as experts gain more time and confidence in conducting thoroughly with real-time data as more cases emerge.
Based on the recent Delta covid cases, reported symptoms are slightly different from the Alpha variant. You are less likely to lose smell and taste, but issues like cough, fever, shortness of breath, and body aches are more prevalent. The most common of all symptoms are headache, sore throat, runny nose, and fever, according to a study done in the UK.
Vaccinated or not, you are responsible for helping the government and your community fight against the spreading of the new Delta variant. One way to do so is to strictly follow the safety measures against Delta variants and other precautionary health standards imposed by the World Health Organization (WHO). Wear a mask, clean your hands, keep a safe distance, avoid mass gathering, and get vaccinated- the best decision you can make.
If tested positive, strictly follow medical advice.
Help your community get to herd immunity, and together put an end to this pandemic. Be fully vaccinated.
Lessandra Blog is a compilation of lifestyle, community, and home-related articles. For real estate investment and tips on how to buy house and lots in the Philippines, visit Lessandra’s Lifestyle and Home Investments section. To know more about quality and affordable house and lots in the Philippines, give the property listing section a visit. Live in best, live in Lessandra.