What is the Delta variant? Where did it come from? Is there a new type of COVID-19 to worry about? Here is a helpful guide to learn about this possible new COVID-19 strain on the rise and how to protect yourself from it. (Stockcrafter/iStock via Getty Images Plus)
Differing strains of the coronavirus continue to appear and are worrying experts, including the newest one: the highly infectious “Delta variant” of COVID-19.
Here is a guide explaining what the “Delta variant” of COVID-19 is, where it originated from, where it is spreading, whether vaccines are effective against it and how you can protect yourself.
What is the Delta variant of COVID-19?
The “Delta variant,” also known by its scientific name as “B.1.617.2,” was a strain of the coronavirus first identified in October in Maharashtra, India.
The strain was first named the “Delta variant” by the World Health Organization after the global health agency implemented a naming system based on Greek letters this month.
Although it is just one out of many variants that are spreading around during the pandemic, World Health Organization officials have called it “a variant of concern.”
The Delta variant also has split into several sub-variants, including one that is widespread in the United Kingdom.
Where is the Delta variant spreading?
Although it was first detected in October in India, the Delta COVID-19 variant has spread to at least 62 countries. Hot spots for the virus also have formed in Africa and Asia.
“It is by far the most contagious variant of this virus that we have seen throughout the whole pandemic,” Dr. Ashish Jha, dean of the Brown University School of Public Health, told TODAY on Wednesday. “It is what has caused huge spikes in India, and it’s causing a serious increase in cases in the U.K. despite the fact they’re very vaccinated. So it really is a problem.”
At least 6% of those cases are in the U.S., according to NBC.
Do vaccines work against the Delta variant?
If you are fully vaccinated, your chances of getting the Delta variant strain of COVID-19 are significantly decreased.
According to The Washington Post, which cited data from the United Kingdom, nearly all serious cases in the country are among the unvaccinated or partially vaccinated.
How effective is Pfizer vaccine against Delta COVID variant? How effective is Moderna vaccine against Delta COVID variant?
Data from The National Institutes of Health obtained by NBC shows that two doses of the Pfizer or AstraZeneca vaccines are effective against the Delta variant.
Two doses of the Pfizer vaccine have proven to be 88% effective against the variant, while two doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine have proven to be 60% effective against the variant, according to the National Institutes of Health data.
Dr. Anthony Fauci told The Washington Post the Pfizer data would be similar for the two-shot Moderna vaccine that also uses mRNA technology.
How can I protect myself against the Delta variant?
Fauci stressed the importance of receiving both doses of the vaccine to protect against the variant, as getting only one shot of either vaccine proved only 33% effective against the strain.
“The good news is our vaccines seem to be holding up pretty well,” Jha said. “The data that’s emerging suggests if you have been vaccinated you’re going to be fine. The vaccines really do seem to hold up against the virus pretty well.”
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