Can you be infected by Delta Variant even after Vaccination?

Overview: 

According to recent news, the new delta variant is rapidly spreading everywhere. It is spiking in regions of US, coronavirus cases are spiking in parts of the country, especially in areas where there is decreased amount of COVID-19 vaccination
Leading to the increase in death rate and hospitalizations among the unvaccinated as they are exposed to different variants of COVID-19, which is proved by the deaths in the US. Dr. Rochelle Walensky, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on June 22 at the White house, said most of these deaths were “entirely preventable.”

Can vaccinated people get infected by delta variant?

Though delta variant is bringing up new chaos across the world, there is a dilemma of who needs to be cautious and who need not to be. Studies say that the present vaccines are fighting against this variant and fully vaccinated people are at a lower risk of severe COVID-19 yet they need to be cautious. Although fully vaccinated people are at a much lower risk of severe illness, their health could still be impacted as COVID-19 surges fluctuates throughout the healthcare system, something we’ve seen throughout the pandemic. Since younger ones under the age of 12 are not eligible for vaccination their bodies are highly prone to be infected by the virus, but comparatively to adults who are unvaccinated they are at lower risk. The reason behind this is their developing immune system and poor response of cystosine storm.

The rise in cases of Covid-19 due to rapid spread of the variant made the hospitals and doctors to prioritize the virus infected and totally ignore the patients with other health issues. According to Wadhera, a cardiologist at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston the surge in corona virus hindered the routine screenings, prescription services and OT patients added with cancelation of elective procedures and surgeries through the pandemic surge. The disruptions were due to lack of resources such as doctors, nurses, surgical suites and equipment’s cause they were assigned to take care of COVID-19 patients.

Medical staff were put incharge to take care of COVID-19 patients. Surgical suites were converted to intensive care units. And shortages of personal protective equipment (PPE), ventilators, and other equipment led to non-urgent procedures being postponed. People shifted all their focus on corona virus, and according to Wadhera most of the patients with other serious health issues like cancer, heart attacks didn’t dare to go to hospitals with a fear of getting exposed to COVID-19, which might have lend to death surges.

Sadly cancer treatments, screening and outpatient checkups were postponed during this pandemic, putting people’s lives at risk. It was reported that some cancer patients’ surgeries were postponed and were given chemotherapy instead of first-line treatment. “Cancer didn’t stop just because COVID started,” said Dr. Vivian Bea, an assistant professor of surgery at Weill Cornell Medicine in Brooklyn, New York. “As breast imaging departments were closed during the pandemic, women were not able to get mammogram”, said Bea, Since there was no timely checkup for such cases they are at a higher risk to be diagnosed with last stage which is hard to be treated. The decline in screening also resulted due to other factors like woman who have invalid health insurance as they are jobless or had to look after their family

The hospitals are overcrowded with patients of corona virus seeking for immediate treatment. These people having weak immunity are mostly unvaccinated which stands as a main reason. When we consider United States, only 53.8 percent of the total population is vaccinated with one dose while the remaining half of unvaccinated is playing major role in the hospitalization surge in the country as delta variant has taken advantage. Few states in the South and West of US, has one-dose percentage below 40. The situation is even dire in certain countries in these areas.

Intensive care beds started filling up in Missouri mostly with unvaccinated COVID-19 patients, among whom majority are the younger ones. A recent increase in COVID-19 infections and deaths are reported in Arizona, also because of delayed vaccination. While the fully vaccinated are insecure to delta virus, how much more are the unvaccinated are? States with high numbers of hospitalized COVID-19 patients must take effort in implementing vaccination in the unvaccinated areas.

Conclusion: 

The prevention of severe illness from Covid-19 and hospitalization hike is obtained by vaccination which would no longer hinder the care of non-covid patients. Every state in every country need to take steps to make sure the overall implementation of vaccine. If any of you or your loved ones are not vaccinated yet, the spread can only be prevented when everyone takes responsibility in getting vaccinated as it is helpful to you and the people around you. If you are vaccinated, stick to the safety measures to not put yourself at risk.