Among fake news, vaccinations and ominous omens a summary, in pennies terms, of the current scientific opinion regarding the new delta variant
March 9, 2020: Giuseppe Conte, live nationally, announces the start of the first lockdown of Italian history. A few months later, lined up along the streets of Bergamo, military trucks carry civilian coffins. The photo, which quickly became viral, shouts a clear message: say Covid-19 you can die. Science, as we know, can work wonders: the big pharmaceutical companies Pfizer, Astrazeneca, Johnson & Johnson e Moderna they made vaccines in record time, using different techniques.
After months of no-vax, fake news, conspiracy theorists and “everything will be fine”, the nightmare seems not to be quite over yet. To worry, this time, a new variant of the virus, the “delta variant“. Is it a real danger or just psychosis? Let’s find out together.
Why does the virus change “appearance”?
Imagine you are a fugitive. Due to numerous testimonials, your identikit was created and disseminated. What would you do to not be recognized and imprisoned? You would certainly radically change your appearance. At the base of the virus mutations there is the same concept, namely the need for to adapt to get gods advantages such as, for example, the major transmissibility or the possibility of “deceiving” the immune system of individuals already immunized (by vaccination or contracted infection). In a nutshell: the virus changes in order not to be eradicated.
From the “practical” point of view, a virus is formed from simple genetic material contained in a protein wrap and it needs another organism to survive. Mutations are due to errors of “copying” of its genetic code in the process of diffusion and reproduction. When these accumulate over time, they give rise to one new variant of the same. The only way to avoid this is to prevent the circulation and the replication of the virus, simply getting vaccinated.
Why the Delta variant became “so famous”
The virus code Sars-Cov-2 it was first isolated in January 2020: since then, numerous variations have been registered on a world scale. Among these, only a few have become predominant because they are particularly contagious. Before the Delta variant, was recognized the Alpha variant, renamed by the mass media with the name of “English variant”. According to the data of the” ISS (National Institute of Health), this variant was responsible, in June 2021, 74.9% of the total infections recorded. These figures, however, are destined to drop precisely due to the spread of Delta variant. Better known as the “Indian variant”, it is 40-50% more contagious than the previous one.
What are the “target ranges” of the Delta variant?
It is registered, in the areas where the Delta variant appears to be particularly widespread, an increase in infections between young and very young, mostly unvaccinated. Added to these are adults who have only received half the vaccine dose. By critically analyzing this data, it is possible to decipher a clear positive sign. The displacement of the target target, in fact, highlights two decisive aspects:
- The vaccines are working. From the latest study published in Cell, it can be clearly seen that, compared to the other variants, the Delta is among the least “able” to evade antibodies promoted by vaccination or disease contraction.
- The pressure on hospitals is decreasing. Generally, the younger an individual is, the less likely it is that, if sick, he or she will need treatment in equipped facilities. This makes thewave of infections and potentially reduces the number of victims.
To date, none of the registered variants appears to be resistant to vaccines. The spread of the latter is a completely natural phenomenon and scientifically explainable. Therefore, stay away from fake news! And remember: monitor and study thetrend of the virus is the sole responsibility of medici e scientists. Getting vaccinated – where possible – is the only one weapon e moral duty of every citizen.