Back to School & Back to the Basics

How to prevent the Delta variant from Spreading?

Several COVID-19 variants are acting uniquely enough to qualify as a distinct strain. And you might have heard about one on the news: the Delta variant.

And what makes this variant worrisome is that it looks like it’s more easily transmissible than previously dominant strains.

The Delta variant is a strain of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, which is the virus that causes COVID-19.  It’s one of several variants that’s acting unique enough to qualify as a distinct strain. Since it was identified in late 2020, it’s quickly becoming the dominant strain in many parts of the world. That includes countries that had successfully managed earlier strains and relaxed public health measures, like the United States and France. Research findings show that it’s more easily transmissible than previously dominant strains.

The World Health Organization says that the Delta variant is the most transmissible of the variants identified so far.

We don’t yet know why it’s able to spread so much more readily, though. One study has proposed that it’s because infected people have higher viral loads, that is, more copies of the virus in their bodies. If true, that would mean that the Delta variant reproduces faster and is more infectious at early stages than other dominant variants.

There is an ongoing debate about #COVID19 vaccine “booster” shots. But according to CDC and WHO as well, at first, we should practice all the practical everyday measures that reduce transmission. 

On a recent interview for WHO Dr Mike Ryan explains:

There are no golden or silver bullets here

Dr. Mike Ryan on WHO

“Act now to protect yourself and loved ones from COVID-19 and the Delta variant. Essentially it comes down to, on average, one person with this virus will infect more new people if this person has the delta strain.

Unless we prevent that by continuing to practice the measures that reduce transmission.  Like physical distance and wearing masks and hand hygiene and ensuring that we’re not spending time in poorly ventilated spaces with lots of other people and all the other measures that we’ve spoken about again and again.

There are no golden or silver bullets here there are no magical solutions there’s no magic dust. It’s been the way for the last 18 months. and people keep asking for magic dust. It doesn’t exist.

The one magic dust we do have is vaccination. The problem is we’re not sprinkling that evenly around the world and we’re working against ourselves.”

So, from that perspective delta is a warning, it’s a warning that this virus is evolving but it’s also a call to action that we need to move now before more dangerous variants emerge.

Dr. Kate L.O’Brien through a recent WHO’s channel broadcast on Viber explains what we know so far about #COVID19 vaccine “booster” shots, and why making sure at-risk people everywhere get 1st and 2nd doses should be the top priority.

But until we know more about the effectiveness of new drugs and vaccines, going back to the basics of practical everyday measures that reduce transmission (physical distance, hand, and surfaces hygiene) is essential.