August 3, 2021
The Delta blues
Delta is picking up speed. Reports are coming in of indoor gatherings of vaccinated but unmasked people testing positive for COVID-19 a few days later, most with mild to no symptoms. This is sobering. Many of us have events coming up that we have been planning and anticipating to mark the end of the pandemic year.
What we do know is that the Delta variant is as contagious as Chicken Pox. People that are vaccinated can be infected, most with minimal symptoms. The period of time when they are most infectious is shorter, which is good. At the same time, we are seeing a rise of COVID-19 infections in children, as well as outbreaks of RSV (respiratory syncytial virus) that causes serious respiratory illness in infants and toddlers. This increase in RSV is interesting. Pediatricians and children’s hospitals usually see it in the winter but RSV never arrived last winter. Now it is here, along with the Delta variant, putting people at risk.
Why now? I suspect due to our changes in behavior over the past few months more than anything. Following the CDC recommendations, most vaccinated adult stopped masking up indoors. We started gathering again, face to face for longer periods. We already know that singing together increases exposures and birthday parties have been some of the biggest spreaders of COVID-19. Many have started gathering again to celebrate and be together, hoping for safety after vaccinations.
Breakthrough infections are occurring and most people do fine. We must keep in mind that this means we can pass COVID-19 to the unvaccinated and vulnerable. Rarely are the breakthrough infections severe, but they can be. More severe infections occur mostly in the elderly (does that mean me since I am over 65? Yikes!) or immunocompromised, such as someone with cancer, diabetes, obesity. Those are the ones also more likely to have “long Covid” as well. But stories abound of young healthy people becoming deathly ill.
What does this mean for me and my loved ones? Are we safe camping at a music gathering next week, if we spend all of our time outdoors? What about sitting in a circle and playing tunes for hours? What about eating together? Or flying? So many questions and so many unknowns.
Which is why we go back to our basics and our knowns. Mask wearing works, especially needed again indoors, and possibly outdoors. Distancing and ventilation are helpful. Know who you are with and their risks. Infections are surging in unexpected areas . You can check this map to see where the highest risks are. Keep washing your hands.
But the big question is what does risk mean to you? Are you young, immunized, and healthy? Are your over 70 or have diabetes or recent cancer treatment? Do you have anyone in your life you do not want to risk exposing? Can you afford to be off work for a few days if you were to catch COVID-19?
Life goes on and for the most part the risks of catching COVID-19, even the Delta variant, can be mitigated with vaccinations and behavior change. I suggest looking at your individual story to see if the risks are worth it. And they just might be. Be sensible.
Just remember to wash your hands, cover your nose (when necessary), and keep safe six as much as possible.
And finally, my caveat is that this is my experience and my opinions, which are subject to change as more information is available, and not related to the organization I work for. Thanks for reading.
https://www.nytimes.com/live/2021/08/01/world/covid-delta-variant-vaccine/heres-what-scientists-know-at-this-moment-about-the-delta-variant
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/08/01/world/delta-variant-kids-infections.html
https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/69/wr/mm6919e6.htm
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/07/05/upshot/covid-birthday-parties.html
https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/breakthrough-covid-cases-least-125-000-fully-vaccinated-americans-have-n1275500
https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/northwest/covid-19-cases-in-oregon-surge-hospital-beds-filling-fast/
https://www.medpagetoday.com/infectiousdisease/covid19vaccine/93794 breakthrough/long covid
https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/rarely-covid-vaccine-breakthrough-infections-can-be-severe-who-s-n1274164
https://www.theatlantic.com/science/archive/2021/07/anatomy-of-a-vaccine-breakthrough/619562/
https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2021/07/29/us/delta-variant-risk-map.html