Ever wondered what all these variants of COVID-19 are and what differences they possess? It has been declared that the delta variant is substantially more contagious than the alpha variant, a strain that was more deadly than the original coronavirus strain.

So do you see the continuous chain around you? Are you aware of how to avoid getting infected from this newly found variant? As with the other deviations of COVID-19, the best solution to stay without getting infected from delta is to stay safe at home. However, it is doubtful whether staying at home is feasible for the community today.

It is uncertain whether the pandemic will cease soon, as the virus constantly undergoes mutations to adapt and survive. The virus that causes the common cold is one example. Variants emerge when a virus mutates and becomes different from the original virus. The Delta strain is more dangerous than the original coronavirus and its variants because its mutation makes it easier to latch on and infect human cells. It is the prime reason that the above variant is more contagious than the others.

Fortunately, a few vaccines have been invented, and they have shown to be highly effective against delta and other variants. These vaccines provide up to 90% protection against serious illnesses that can lead to hospitalization and death. Thus, it’s better to get vaccinated and protect yourself than to get exposed to such a deadly variant.

You might think that being vaccinated itself is a cure for the virus, which indeed is not. Ensuring that one stays at home and has minimum outings during this extremely challenging situation is the most effective and the highly recommended cautionary step to be taken against Delta. Wearing a protective mask and a face shield also ensure that you are extra protected, so it’s hard for the virus to enter your body.

It’s controversial that without the vaccine, the population will be susceptible to delta-driven epide­mics that will result in large numbers of infections, hospitalizations, and ultimat­ely, deaths. Where that occurs, eventually enough of those who survive will develop natural imm­unity to reduce the number of people susceptible to the virus, causing the transmission to slow down and ultimately to stop.

It has come to a stage in which one cannot differentiate between an infected and an uninfected individual. Thus, as the youth, it is our significant responsibility to stay protected against the Delta variant.

Rtr. Anudi Gunasekara (Member Relations Team)