Those who still think 2020 hit us hard because of the covid pandemic are still unaware of what Delta variant can cause to human lives. The variant is the fastest, fittest, and most formidable version of the coronavirus that causes COVID-19 which the world encountered last year.
As we know, the delta variant is surging and is quite dangerous. Surprisingly its variants have become successively better at infecting people as compared to last year. This raises many questions, but the most important one: Why is the delta variant of COVID-19 more dangerous?
What is Delta Variant?
The Delta variant is another form of covid and it is already 50 percent more contagious than the original coronavirus first identified in China in 2019.
Public health experts estimate that the average person who gets infected with Delta spreads it to three or four other people, as compared with one or two other people through the original coronavirus strain.
As of early July, Delta has become the dominant form of the coronavirus in the US, UK, Germany, and other countries. In the UK, the Delta variant now makes up more than 97 percent of new COVID-19 cases and is also the dominant strain in the United States.
What are the most common symptoms of this variant?
Although, the symptoms are similar to the original coronavirus strain, including a persistent cough, headache, fever, and sore throat.
At the same time, COVID-19 patients have reported that some symptoms are slightly different for Delta. Cough and loss of smell seem to be less common. Headache, sore throat, runny nose, and fever seem to be more common.
Why is Delta variant more dangerous than coronavirus?
As of now, nearly every person who tested positive for COVID-19 had the Delta variant. Health experts say it’s typical for a new strain of a virus to be more contagious because it often becomes much more efficient and easily transmitted.
As of now, there is no evidence that the Delta variant makes people more severely sick, but it is around twice as contagious as the original SARS-CoV-2 virus. It is also more contagious because people tend to carry around more particles of the virus in their nose and throat, making it easier to transmit to others.
Can vaccinated people contract the Delta virus?
Recent research has found that the Delta variant grows more rapidly and to much greater levels in the respiratory tract. Typically, vaccinated people are either asymptomatic or have very mild symptoms if they contract the Delta variant. But the answer is yes, there are chances of a vaccinated person contracting the Delta virus.
Are there more COVID-19 variants?
The Delta variant is currently the most prominent strain of COVID-19, but the Lambda variant out of South America is also emerging. Health experts urge that if people want to get back to normal, a significant portion of the population needs to be vaccinated. As long as a chunk of people across the world is unvaccinated, new strains of the virus will continue to develop and cause problems.
