As the Covid-19 cases numbers steadily come to a halt, The new Covid-19 variant, Delta, was first identified in India and has already spread to various different parts of the world. The Delta variant is estimated to be about 60% more contagious and dangerous than the original Covid-19 strain. Studies have found that the mutation replicates faster and possibly evades the human body’s immune mechanism. Also, the Delta variant can cause massive outbreaks with only a little contact. As more and more people start to take full advantage of the mask mandate lift, the number of cases rises. The virus that was once only found in India has quickly spread to the states; California alone has over one thousand reported cases. The Delta variant is known as one of the more dominant strains This new strain has more viral loads (a measurement of the amount of a virus in an organism) and is composed of more proteins. The increased number of proteins makes the virus an efficient predator and allows it to duplicate at a quicker rate. In addition, the new variant doubles the risk of hospitalization and death rates . If not
careful, hospitals and other healthcare facilities can be overrun by this new virus mutation. Areas with limited hospital beds, such as Palestine and Indonesia, are struggling to keep up with the rising number of Delta variantaffected patients. However, patients affected with the Delta variant have shown symptoms that are very similar to the original Covid-19 virus symptoms, such as headaches, runny nose, sore throat, loss of smell, shortness of breath, fevers, and persistent coughs. Many debates have sparked as scientists argue about the vaccine’s effectiveness against the Delta variant. Some experts, such as Dr. Rochelle Walensky, argue that the vaccine does work to an extent. Others argue that the vaccine is counter-productive, allowing the new variants to escape the body’s natural immune system defenses. With more research and time, a concrete answer may be established. However, for now, healthcare professionals and health officials continue to encourage the general public to receive their vaccines.
written by grace yoon edited by cindy zhang 17
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