- While the COVID-19 Delta variant continues to spread across the country, unvaccinated people have an increased risk of developing the disease.
- Staying away from indoor places can help keep you safe if you haven’t received a COVID-19 vaccine.
- Getting vaccinated, practicing safety measures like mask wearing and physical distancing, and engaging in outdoor activities as much as possible can help reduce your risk.
Due to the Delta variant, COVID-19 cases are surging in the United States.
According to data from Johns Hopkins University, during the last week of July, new cases increased in 48 states by at least 10 percent compared to the previous week.
New cases increased by 50 percent in 34 of the states that saw an increase.
“The new Delta variant of COVID-19 now accounts for [more than] 80 percent of cases in the U.S. It is highly transmissible,” Dr. Kathi Kemper, professor at The Ohio State University College of Medicine, told Healthline.
“Everyone who is eligible for a vaccine should get vaccinated. This helps protect them and those who can’t get the vaccine due to a medical condition or age (younger than 12 years old currently),” she said.
While vaccines provide over 80 to 90 percent protection in terms of contracting a severe case that requires hospitalization or leads to death, Kemper noted that the vaccines aren’t 100 percent effective.
She pointed out that, while it’s not impossible for a vaccinated individual to get a severe case of COVID-19 leading to hospitalization and even death, it’s extremely rare. Breakthrough cases do occur in a small number of vaccinated people, but they’re generally asymptomatic or result in mild illness.
However, unvaccinated people are more likely to contract the virus, have symptoms, become seriously ill, or require hospitalization and die.
Kemper said that “currently, over 90 percent of those hospitalized and dying with COVID-19 are unvaccinated” even though only about 40 percent of U.S. adults are unvaccinated.
Source: healthline