The Delta Virus Is Like the Shark in Jaws

If you are following the news, you should have heard of the latest coronavirus variant dubbed the Delta variant.

This is a short discussion of current variants circulating in the United States from the CDC:

Variants in the United States

“We are monitoring multiple variants; currently there are four notable variants in the United States:

“B.1.1.7 (Alpha): This variant was first detected in the United States in December 2020. It was initially detected in the United Kingdom.

“B.1.351 (Beta): This variant was first detected in
the United States at the end of January 2021. It was initially detected in South Africa in December 2020.

“P.1 (Gamma): This variant was first detected in the United States in January 2021. P.1 was initially identified in travelers from Brazil, who were tested during routine screening at an airport in Japan, in early January.

“B.1.617.2 (Delta): This variant was first detected in the United States in March 2021. It was initially identified in India in December 2020.”

These variants seem to spread more easily and quickly than other variants, which may lead to more cases of COVID-19. An increase in the number of cases will put more strain on health-care resources and lead to more hospitalizations and potentially more deaths.

So far, studies suggest that the current authorized vaccines work on the circulating variants. Scientists will continue to study these and other variants.

What the above does not say is how fast the Delta variant is spreading throughout the U.S. It will in short order become the dominant variant in our nation.

You might have noted that the current vaccines do provide protection from these variants, including Delta. However, the Delta variant is believed at this point to be much more contagious and deadly to those people who become exposed and fall ill.

We are about to have a “grand experiment” in which portions of the country that have a high vaccination rate, 70 percent or above, do not have an explosion of cases, and those states and sectors of the United States — i.e., the South — where vaccination rates are low will likely have another surge in cases.

All of which is very preventable if only people would get vaccinated. I do have trouble understanding people who are vaccine hesitant. I expect they are also the ones who eschew wearing a seat belt when riding in a car. Who, me? Accident? Never!

For the record, the movie “Jaws” was released in 1975, 46 years ago. Don’t go near the water!