Are you threatened by the Delta variant? The degree of risk depends on several factors. What kind?

Contents

Delta variant – why is it dangerous

You are after one dose of the vaccine
You are fully vaccinated
You are a healer
You are a healer – get vaccinated!

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The Coronavirus Delta variant currently dominates the world. As a result, in countries where the third wave of the pandemic has already expired, there is talk of re-introducing restrictions. Who is the most threatened by Delta? To what extent are vaccinated people and those with COVID-19 infection protected against this strain?

Delta variant, according to the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control, by the end of August, will account for 90 percent. new COVID-19 infections in the European Union
In Poland, less than 100 cases of this mutation have been reported so far
How to protect yourself from it? Vaccinate, even if we already have COVID-19 infection behind us – doctors urge
– The falling willingness to vaccinate may cost us a heavier fourth wave, and not the appearance of the delta variant itself – emphasizes prof. Andrzej Fal in an interview with Medonet
More information can be found on the Onet homepage

Delta variant – why is it dangerous

The Delta variant (Indian, B.1.617.2) is a hybrid of the SARS-CoV-2 virus that has several mutations, including several (D614G, T478K, L452R, P681R) that make this strain particularly dangerous. Delta combines three characteristics: extremely high infectivity, causing a more severe course of COVID-19, and greater immunity to vaccines than previously known variants.

According to the latest research, Delta’s transmissivity is 64% higher, while the risk of hospitalization is 2,5 times higher.

To what extent does this variant threaten us? It all depends on whether and to what extent we are vaccinated and whether we have been infected with the coronavirus.

You are after one dose of the vaccine

As experts emphasize, all vaccines work against currently known variants of the coronavirus. But to varying degrees. Of the four strains identified by the World Health Organization as particularly dangerous, the Delta variant is the least responsive to vaccines. Especially if we only took one dose.

A recent study by Public Health England shows that four weeks after taking a single dose of both Pfizer and AstraZeneki, protection against infection with the Alpha variant is 50 percent.

Which vaccines protect against the Delta variant? [WE CHECK]

In the case of Delta, the data looks much worse. One dose of Pfizer protects 36%, in the case of AstraZeneka it is only 30%. There are no data on the Moderna preparation yet.

What is the conclusion of this? We cannot forget about the second dose of the vaccine, even if we are concerned about unpleasant ailments after vaccination.

Let us add that one dose of Pfizer protects 94% from the necessity of hospitalization as a result of Delta infection, while protection after AstraZeneka is at the level of 71%.

You are fully vaccinated

The full effectiveness of the Pfizer vaccine declared by the manufacturer was initially 95%. This is what happened in clinical trials, when no one could yet predict what the next COVID-19 variants would look like.

Delta is the most dangerous of them. But full vaccination protects us little less than the original coronavirus or even the Alpha variant. The aforementioned Public Health England study shows that the Pfizer preparation 14 days after taking the second dose has an effectiveness of protecting against Delta infection at the level of 88%. For AstraZeneca, the effectiveness is 67%.

Delta variant. Then you should know about him

There is a very clear difference between the protection obtained after one dose and that acquired after two doses. The conclusion is also obvious – we have to take two doses.

Let us add that the level of protection against hospitalization in the case of the Delta mutation after two doses for Pfizer is 96 percent, and for AstraZeneka – 92 percent.

You are a healer

As immunologists point out, our immune system deals with only a fragment of the virus protein during vaccination, while a person who has had COVID-19 infection has had contact with many types of protein. So it is prepared to react against the various antigens of the virus.

Healers are not protected against the Delta mutation. Reinfections are increasing

However, the Delta variant, which has several epidemiologically dangerous mutations, eludes immunity acquired as a result of infection with earlier variants of the coronavirus. This applies to the original variant and the Alpha (British). This is evidenced by the data from the UK. Britain. This country was dominated by the British tribe in January and February, and now there are many cases of convalescents.

Reinfections are common, but there is no data yet on the extent to which the COVID-19 transition protects against the currently dominant variant. It is estimated that it may be at the level of 50 percent.

You are a healer – get vaccinated!

The coronavirus pandemic has been going on for several months. Paradoxically, it is not much time to learn exactly what our protection against the next variants of the coronavirus looks like, both as a result of infection and after vaccination.

The number of infections in Israel is increasing. Will the restrictions come back a week after they are lifted?

However, we can be sure of two things. Immunity to the SARS-CoV-2 virus in people who have been infected with COVID-19 is long-term, it can last up to a year or more. And if it is additionally fortified with a vaccine, it will be so strong that it will be enough to fight off different variants of COVID-19. This is the result of several recent studies, both by American and British scientists.

So if you’ve been infected with COVID-19 and you don’t want to get sick again – get vaccinated. This is the best protection against the so-called Indian mutation.