Is The Delta Strain Of COVID-19 Something To Be Worried About?

The Delta strain was first discovered in India, and has since made it’s way into a plethora of countries. According to the World Health Organization the Delta strain has spread to 80 countries. Experts are worried about another surge in cases, especially in countries that have low vaccination rates. Medical News Today states, “Based on data from the U.K., the delta variant is about 60% more transmissible than the alpha variant.” The strain has also been deemed more dangerous than the Alpha strain. The symptoms typically are more severe than the Alpha strain, and is more fatal. Professor Wendy Barclay at Imperial College London in the U.K. explained to Medical News Today, “this variant is more transmissible than previous ones because of some key mutations in the spike protein, which allows the virus to penetrate and infect healthy cells.”

Vaccinated people have less of a reason to worry. It’s about a one in a thousand chance that you will contract COVID-19 while being vaccinated. If you are the one in a thousand, your symptoms are less severe and you are unlikely to be admitted into a hospital, and can instead treat it at home.

To minimalize the virus, experts are advising everybody to receive both doses of the vaccines. Moderna and Pfizer both see about a 90% effectiveness rate against the new strain, and Johnson & Johnson see around a 75% effectiveness.

Keep doing your part and we can end COVID together.