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It’s common for a virus to mutate and create new strains that could be potentially worse than the original virus. In the case of COVID, numerous mutations have occurred, but the Delta variant is spreading rapidly and causing great concern. As it spreads across the world, more questions arise about who is safe from the virus and what you need to do to remain healthy.
We took a look at where the Delta variant is most prevalent, who it affects the most, how symptoms have evolved, and whether the vaccines are effective against it.
Stats from the CDC: Delta variant hot spots
The Delta variant is considered highly transmissible, which means it can be passed among even asymptomatic people very easily. The Delta variant was first discovered in India, which has suffered many COVID-related hospitalizations and deaths.
That isn’t to say that the variant is not spreading to more vaccinated areas such as places in Europe, Australia, and even the U.S., where 24 states have seen a 10% rise in COVID cases over the past week due to the Delta variant. The variant is thought to be 60% more transmissible than the alpha COVID virus variant.
In the U.S., the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has an interactive tracker map that helps you determine if you are in a hot spot for the variant. Areas of greatest concern are places where a majority of the population is not vaccinated. The CDC is reporting a surge in cases in the Southeast and Midwest, areas where COVID vaccination coverage is less than 30%.
Dense populations, such as Los Angeles, are asking everyone (vaccinated or not) to continue wearing masks indoors to reduce the spread of the Delta variant.
Differences in the CDC and WHO messaging
The World Health Organization (WHO) and the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) have differing opinons on how to mitigate the Delta variant. The WHO recommends that everyone go back to wearing masks and social distancing, even if vaccinated. The CDC doesn't believe this is necessary for vaccinated people. The CDC believes that unvaccinated people are at the biggest risk of contracting COVID and believe that mask wearing and social distancing is still necessary. If you are unsure, talk to your doctor about your concerns. You may opt to take the safer option because you have kids who are not vaccinated or you are in a known high-risk group.
Severity of the illness: Delta variant symptoms
The Delta variant has parents concerned. “I’m worried for my 4-year-old. It seems like the virus has mutated in a way that puts kids at greater risk,” explained Angie Barter to Mom.com. According to Dr. Soumya Swaminathan, WHO’s chief scientist, the Delta variant is better able to “resist the antibodies that we have in our blood.”
Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, warns that we need to be particularly careful with this variant. “We haven’t formally proven yet how much diminution there is in the likelihood of transmitting it to someone else – including children,” he told CNN.
So while studies showed that the alpha variant showed mild-to-no symptoms in children, parents have growing concern with this unvaccinated population.
There is a variation of the symptoms of the Delta variant. While a fever and cough remain common symptoms, many with the Delta variant report a runny nose, headache, and sore throat. The runny nose was rare in previous COVID patients, and the headache and sore throat was mildly prevalent. If you have been vaccinated, you may experience reduced severity of symptoms and a shorter period of being sick because you have a higher number of antibodies in your blood to fight it.
Does the COVID vaccine protect against the Delta variant?
Those who are vaccinated are still at risk for catching the Delta variant. “Vaccine alone won’t stop community transmission,” according to Dr. Mariangela Simao, the WHO assistant director-general for access to medicines and health products, who spoke at a news briefing at WHO’s Geneva headquarters. While most agree that vaccines do protect against the Delta variant, it’s not perfect protection. Those who are only partially vaccinated are at great risk, though symptoms of those vaccinated seem to be less severe in many cases.
Experts agree that the vaccine protects against serious illness and death from COVID, and a recent study by Yale University and the Commonwealth Fund says that the COVID-19 vaccines have saved hundreds of thousands of lives and prevented more than a million hospitalizations in the U.S.
According to the study, by the end of June, it's estimated that 279,000 more people would have died due to COVID-19 — that's around 46% more deaths. Additionally, they report 1.25 million more hospitalizations would have happened without the vaccines.
