As COVID-19 seemed to slow down here in the United States when vaccines began to roll out, it seemed like greener grass was just around the corner. However, as the Delta variant has swept across the world, it seems like those green meadows are slipping further out of reach. Currently, mask mandates are being reinstated across the country, but contrary to the raising – in some states record-setting – infections, Dr. Anthony Fauci has stated that the United States will not go back into lockdown. It’s important to know what this variant means for us all, as well as what a variant is.
First of all, how did the Delta variant emerge? As a virus replicates, over time it will make errors copying its DNA, and these become genetic mutations. These mutations cause various changes to the virus, which can alter many different aspects of the virus, including becoming more or less infectious. It’s expected for viruses to mutate into new variants. It was less a matter of will COVID-19 mutate than when will COVID-19 mutate.
According to the CDC, there are three things you need to know when it comes to COVID-19 variants. First, these variants are expected. Currently, the CDC has four different “variations of concern” on their website: Alpha, Beta, Gamma, and Delta. The vaccinations in the USA work against Alpha, Beta, and Gamma, while the vaccinations work to a lesser extent against the Delta variant. This is the second point on the CDC’s website, if you’re vaccinated, you can still contract the Delta variant, but the infection is more than likely to be much less severe. The vaccine will prevent “you from getting sick, being hospitalized, or dying from COVID-19” depending on the strain of COVID-19 you contract. The danger is that you’re capable of spreading the virus to others, even if you aren’t aware that you have the virus. This, combined with a large number of unvaccinated individuals, is what’s leading to another spike of cases in the pandemic.
The last point from the CDC is that all COVID-19 tests can detect all variants of COVID-19. However, the test cannot tell you exactly which variant you have. This is why it’s still important to take as many precautions as you can, if not for yourself, but for others around you. Alongside any of these precautions against COVID-19 like wearing a mask, social distancing, or isolating if you feel sick or test positive, the best way you can protect yourself is to have a healthy lifestyle and to keep your immune system at peak performance. You can try out our boosting products to bolster your defense against viral infections with BodyK’s Boost Box Viral Defense.
