July 15, 2021
Updated: July 23, 2021*
A new COVID-19 variant has been seen spreading across the United States. Officials dub the new strain of coronavirus as the “Delta” variant.
On June 6th, it was reported that about 10.1% of new COVID cases in the US were from the Delta strain. On June 19th, the Delta strain has jumped up to about 31.1% of new infection cases. As we see the decline in infection rates for the Alpha strain, the strain we are so used to, the infection rates for the Delta strain have been rapidly increasing, with some reports stating that the Delta variant accounts for over 83%* of new COVID cases in the US. This has led some CDC officials to worry about whether or not COVID booster shots will be necessary to curb the spread of the new strain.
What we do know about the new variant is that the Delta is more contagious that previous strains. Currently, the Delta infection rate is moderate, but this can quickly change as the infection spread for the Delta variant is 1 to 3.5 or 4 other people (1 person with the Delta variant can infect 3 to 4 non-infected people). This is a big increase from the Alpha’s rate of 1 to 2.5 people.
As stated before, officials are unsure whether or not booster shots will be necessary to decrease the spread, but to be on the safe side Pfizer and BioNTech are researching the new variant in order to create a booster shot that is more effective. This is similar to how flu shots are yearly updated in order to fight the new flu strain. With this in mind, if you are not yet vaccinated, contact your healthcare provider and schedule an appointment to get your vaccine. This would not only decrease the chances of you getting the newer and deadlier strain, but it would also decrease the chances of other people contracting it too.
If you have chronic diseases or illnesses, make sure to stock up on prescription and non-prescription medications. This will limit your need to go out and buy more. The CDC recommends talking to a healthcare provider, insurer, and pharmacist about getting extra prescription medications.
If you have any worries about your health, feel free to contact us and schedule an appointment at the bottom of this page. We are able to see you over the phone or in person at your home.
If you are interested in staying up-to-date on COVID-19, check out these resources: