Delta and Hawaii: 5 Ways the New Variant Is Affecting Hawaii
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In the past few weeks, the COVID-19 Delta variant has spread rapidly across the United States, including in our state of Hawaii.
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The Delta variant, a more aggressive form of COVID-19, is causing more serious illness for those who get it, especially for those who haven’t been vaccinated.
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As the Delta variant spreads, it will be important to get vaccinated if you haven’t already; COVID-19 Vaccine clinics Ko Olina and the rest of Hawaii offer free vaccines, which are fast and easy to get!
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Here are 5 different ways that the Delta variant is affecting Hawaii.
COVID-19 cases are at an all time high •
While Hawaii was experiencing a drop in positive cases much like other states earlier in the summer, we have now seen a steady and dramatic increase in cases week over week. “The Delta variant is driving the rise, or else we would be in a very good situation.
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We would be completely in control and there would be no question about it, and we wouldn’t have a mask mandate in place, probably,” said Dr. Monique Chyba at the UH Department of Mathematics.
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Rates have risen to over 600 new cases a day, a record-breaking high for Hawaii.
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This number may continue to grow in the future, which is why it will be important to use Telemedicine Clinics in Honolulu and throughout the rest of Hawaii more often than going in person.
The Delta Variant is the dominant strain, and it’s growing •
The Delta variant is known for being more easily transmissible than the original COVID-19 virus; not only that, but those who are vaccinated are still able to get it.
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As such, it has grown to be the dominant strain for most places in the world, including Hawaii.
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In the past few weeks, the Delta variant has accounted for at least 80% of new cases.
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As more people get vaccinated, the original COVID-19 virus will grow even less common; however, this will make the Delta variant grow to almost be the exclusive form of the virus.
More cases are headed to hospitals •
The Delta variant is known to be more aggressive than previous variants, causing a higher percentage of hospitalizations and deaths compared to previous variants.
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Out of all the people facing severe illness from the Delta variant, 96% of them are unvaccinated; vaccinated people are much more likely to recover from it without needing to be hospitalized.
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“We’re not making up that three days ago, 89 of the 93 hospitalizations with COVID were unvaccinated. We’re not making up that the majority of the fatalities are amongst the unvaccinated,” said Dr. Thomas Lee, UH HiPAM co-chair.
More young people are getting sick •
Another statistic that researchers have found is that the Delta variant is more likely to impact younger people under the age of 30.
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With over a quarter of new cases being found in this age group, they are the dominant demographic with the Delta variant.
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With more and more younger people headed to hospitals over the variant, doctors are urging young people to get vaccinated before returning to work or school, to protect both themselves and others from this dangerous virus.
Some COVID-19 restrictions have been reimposed •
On August 10th, Hawaii Governor David Ige announced he would sign an executive order immediately mandating that social gatherings have no more than 10 guests if inside or 25 guests if outside.
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The latest guidelines will reduce the indoor capacity for bars, gyms, restaurants, and social establishments to 50%. Other COVID-19 regulations in relation to traveling restrictions and public mask mandates are all being discussed as the cases continue to grow each day.
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Other COVID-19 regulations in relation to traveling restrictions and public mask mandates are all being discussed as the cases continue to grow each day.
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While the situation may seem dire, following COVID-19 safety guidelines are still relevant and helpful in fighting the spread of the Delta Variant.
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If you haven’t already, getting vaccinated is your first step.
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Visiting a COVID-19 Vaccine Clinic in Ko Olina, Kapolei, Honolulu, or anywhere else in Hawaii can get you vaccinated quickly and easily! If you’ve been vaccinated, continuing to wear masks, practicing social distancing, and sanitizing often will make a big difference in curbing the spread of the virus.
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And using services like Telemedicine Clinics Honolulu for a doctor’s appointment or food delivery rather than going out helps prevent unnecessary spread of the virus as well!
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