The Reassuring Data on the Delta Variant

[marmar]

(WSJ) You read the same alarming headlines every few months, now with Greek letters. As the virus that causes Covid-19 evolves and mutates, the same concerns pop up about whether the variant evades vaccines, makes people sicker than the old versions, and increases transmissibility. What we know about the Delta variant is reassuring.

One of the most important questions is whether vaccines are still working well. The best way to answer that is to look at the number of vaccinated people getting serious Covid-19 symptoms or being hospitalized. A new study from the U.K. found that vaccines are still incredibly effective at preventing serious illness with the Delta variant circulating. The Pfizer vaccine was 96% effective after two doses at preventing hospitalization, meaning the average unvaccinated person in the study was more than 25 times as likely to be hospitalized with Covid as the average vaccinated one. (This almost certainly understates the protectiveness of the vaccine, as the vaccinated cohort was older and had a higher incidence of pre-existing conditions than the unvaccinated one.) The Johnson & Johnson vaccine produces strong neutralizing antibodies and cellular responses against the Delta variant, still present eight months after administration.

Studies from Canada and the U.K. show 79% to 87% effectiveness against symptomatic infection with the Delta variant. On July 8 the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Food and Drug Administration asserted their confidence in the vaccines. They jointly announced that no boosters are necessary at this time. ...........(more)

https://www.wsj.com/articles/delta-variant-hospitalizations-covid-coronavirus-vaccine-immunity-11626374706

[highplainsdem]

1. K&R

[RAB910]

2. I would not use the Wall Street Journal as a source for medical information, especially Covid

The Bullshit "You read the same alarming headlines every few months, now with Greek letters" should have tipped everyone off that this is more anti-American downplay Covid right-wing propaganda

[Klaralven]

3. With 20% of the vaccinated and a large percentage of the unvaccinated susceptible...

Covid has a fairly large population to spread throughout.

And it is likely to, given that Delta is much more infectious than the original Alpha, and that people are no longer taking social distancing seriously.

28,704 was the US new cases 7-day moving average on 7/15, up from the minimum of 12,004 on 6/21. The daily deaths curve is just starting to bend up, since there is a 2-3 weeks time lag between case detection and death.

https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/country/us/

[dalton99a]

4. Kick

[roamer65]

5. Start sending them to quarantine facilities.

[lagomorph777]

6. It is reassuring to hear that antivax MAGATs are 25x more likely than me to end up in the hospital.

Actually, probably higher than that, because I am still carefully masking.

[chowder66]

7. I would advocate that they wake up and figure this out before they are permanently harmed

or permanently harm others who are not fully vaccinated, can't yet get vaccinated, are still afraid to get vaccinated (black and brown people who don't trust based on history), who can't get vaccinated because their condition or medications don't allow them to, children who are not yet able to receive the vaccine...etc.

[lagomorph777]

8. COVIDiots are incapable of figuring it out.

Best if they just die promptly.

But I agree, the harm they are doing to children and those too ill for a vaccine is unforgiveable.