• Covid-19 Delta Variant: GHK Hospital Answered The Most Burning Questions  

Dr. Saif Khan, a Covid-19 expert answers the most commonly asked questions from the patients at GHK Hospital, one of the best maternity hospital in Jaunpur.

The Covid 19 Delta strain has sparked fresh Covid-19 outbreaks, spooked markets, and reminded us that, despite success in the fight against the pandemic, vulnerabilities still exist.

The death toll in India has surpassed 400,000 as the delta variant spreads over the world, particularly among the unvaccinated. They’ve also raised new questions about whether Delta poses a risk to those who have been vaccinated, complicating the debate over what safeguards schools should take before reopening entirely. Below, our team at GHK Hospital have run through some of the most pressing concerns through Dr. Khan about Delta and how it’s changing the landscape of the pandemic.

The main takeaway is that vaccines still do what they were designed to do, even in the face of Delta. They are protecting people from becoming so sick that they need to be admitted or even dying from Covid-19 infections by defusing the threat. Although medicine can’t be trusted, there is a reason that 97% to 99 percent of all current deaths and hospitalizations are happening among people who have not been vaccinated.

Why is Covid 19 Delta so important?

Delta poses a greater threat to countries with less access to vaccines such as India. In fact, Delta is spreading so well that it is causing spikes in the number of cases and, in turn, resulting in an increase in hospitalizations in vulnerable areas.

Although scientists are still trying to figure out if Delta causes more severe diseases than other variants of the virus, experts worry less about a virus becoming more deadly and more about it becoming more transmissible. The end result is a higher number of deaths and hospitalizations due to viruses that are more efficient at spreading.

This is due to the fact that people infected by Delta virus have higher levels of virus in airways. This means that they “shed” more virus and are more likely to be infected if they come in contact with others. Experts agree that either people will get vaccinated or they will get Covid-19 at some point. Delta is a good example of this argument.

To slow the spread of transmissible diseases, communities must have greater protection at the population level. This means that more people need to be vaccinated or have had prior infections. This explains why Delta is seeing an increase in cases even in states that have high vaccination coverage. However, these increases are much smaller than those in less-vaccinated states.

I hear a lot about breakthrough infections. Are they more common in Delta? What does this mean for vaccines? 

It’s impossible to estimate the frequency of breakthrough infections. Our best estimates of vaccine effectiveness came from carefully controlled clinical trials. These studies were designed to assess how effective the shots are against Covid-19 cases. In the real world, there are many mild and asymptomatic breakthrough diseases that go undiagnosed. It’s difficult to determine the rate of change over time without this baseline. The vast majority of cases are either mild or asymptomatic.

There are two reasons you might be hearing more about these breakthrough infections. The first is that they are newsworthy. A person contracting coronavirus despite being vaccinated makes it easy to headline. Even though we were told in the beginning that people who had been vaccinated would sometimes get Covid-19, this is not the case. People are realizing that vaccines can make people feel worse for days, even though they prevent them from becoming more sick.

There is also the possibility that breakthrough infections are occurring more often than expected due to factors other than how effective vaccines are. One reason is that many people have returned to the activities they had stopped doing. Increased, unmasked contact at bars, weddings, and other events increases the chance of coming into contact with infectious persons. As cases rise, more viruses are available, which means that we are more susceptible to being exposed.

There could be a statistical reason. A lower percentage of people who have been vaccinated will result in fewer cases. This is what everyone wants. However, breakthrough infections are more common when a larger percentage of the community is vaccinated. Imagine a scenario in which 100% of the population is vaccinated. 100% of cases would then be among those who are vaccinated.

Also, Delta’s effect on vaccines. The good news is that vaccines have not lost their ability to prevent hospitalizations and deaths despite the evolving virus. As researchers wrote in a New England Journal of Medicine, this week that looked at the effectiveness of the Pfizer-BioNTech and AstraZeneca vaccines against Delta, “only modest differences in vaccine effectiveness were noted with the Delta variant as compared with” other forms of the virus, as long as people had both shots of the two-dose regimens.

It is possible, though it is not proven, that Delta’s mutations allow it to bypass the vaccine’s full defenses. This could mean that Delta is more likely than others to cause a breakthrough infection. However, the majority of the vaccine’s protections still kick in and protect against the worst. 

Even for those who have been vaccinated, some places encourage masks indoors. Is Delta infection more common in people who haven’t been vaccinated than those who have?

The fact that vaccines reduce transmission was a big bonus to their primary purpose of preventing death and severe disease. This was possible by making vaccines more effective in preventing infections. It also likely made those who were still infected less contagious for shorter periods of times, which meant they were less likely to be infected to spread the virus to others. It is not known if vaccinated individuals have spread the virus to any extent.

Although we don’t know for certain, it is possible that shots have a slightly lower impact on transmission in Delta. This doesn’t mean that vaccines don’t have an impact on Delta’s transmission. However, it could be diminished.

Recently, some communities have increased their support for masks in certain areas because they are concerned about the rising number of cases. After all, masks are less disruptive than other mitigation measures like capacity limits and restrictions. The new local recommendations could help if vaccinated people are in fact playing a significant role in transmission, but it could also help increase mask usage overall. While it is recommended that people who are not vaccinated continue to use masks, there are many recommendations that can be used for different groups since it is difficult to verify that all customers were properly vaccinated. At GHK Hospital, all its staff members and visitors are compelled and encouraged to wear masks at all times to maintain sanitized conditions at the facility and prevent the further spread of the virus.

How effective are the vaccines against Delta? Do I need to get a booster?

Clinical trials are the best way to determine whether vaccines work. However, they were conducted before Delta was created. We rely on both real-world and laboratory experiments to determine the effectiveness of vaccines. Each has its limitations.

The real-world studies have come up with a range of effectiveness estimates, but the clear takeaway has been that full vaccine regimens protect against the worst outcomes no matter the variant they face. The threat of immune protection from Delta appears to be lower than that of Beta, which is a less common variant. (The full regimen includes both the two-dose courses and the shot in Delta.)

Does Delta mean that we aren’t going to eliminate Covid-19?

Covid-19 will not be eradicated but it was the reality prior to Delta. Remember, the long game with the virus is that our bodies become so used to recognizing it and warding it off that, over time, it becomes little more than a nuisance. Our bodies become more able to fight the virus with each new exposure, whether it is through an infection or an immunity-mimicking vaccine. SARS-CoV-2 will eventually join the ranks with other respiratory viruses that can cause mild to moderate colds. There are rare cases of severe illness.

We have made a small step towards making the coronavirus less serious. We still have a lot of work to do, considering how many people aren’t protected. Even though Covid-19 is on the rise, there are still many people who are protected. This is the first step towards ending the pandemic.

GHK Hospital, one of the best emergency and maternity hospitals in Jaunpur from the onset has successfully implemented the Covid-19 protocol across its facilities and rigidly followed it to ensure the best care for its patients. The Hospital was further awarded the permission to function during the peak of the pandemic by the health authorities of Uttar Pradesh, India. GHK Hospital stays committed to providing the highest standard of care and safety for all its patient and is driven to work towards flattening the curve against the new delta variant in India.

For specialized maternity services, book an appointment through our portal here or call us at +919335382171 and receive highly efficient treatment in the most secure environment especially with the latest surge in Covid-19 cases.