The unvaccinated population will become a threat for vaccinated individuals. The Delta variant is only the beginning of new variants. Get to know everything about WHO’s warning here.
Delta Variant
The Delta and Delta plus variants that were affecting Indians have now emerged in other parts of the world as well. Though there were only 10% it has increased by 73% in 6 weeks in the U.S according to CDC. Rochelle Walensky, director of the CDC described that the spike is “troubling” with the nation not heading for a lockdown.
Infectious diseases expert, Anthony Fauci says COVID appropriate behavior is more than enough and a lockdown wouldn’t be necessary at present. He added that vaccines provide a 25-fold efficacy but the problem lies with the number of vaccinated individuals.
Do Vaccines Work Against New Variants?
Vaccines have proven to be effective against new variants in states such as Maine, Connecticut, and Massachusetts where 60% of the population is vaccinated. While vaccinated individuals were also affected by the virus in states like Alabama and Mississippi where only 35% of the population is vaccinated. It was found that the death rates in affected vaccinated individuals were comparatively lower than unvaccinated individuals.
WHO’s Warning
WHO has warned several third-world countries for lowering restrictions despite the surge in the number of COVID-19 cases.
Michael Ryan, the WHO's director of emergencies says, "Delta is a warning: it's a warning that the virus is evolving but it is also a call to action that we need to move now before more dangerous variants emerge."
New Variants
A new study shows that new variants that can resist the vaccination will emerge sooner or later in places where the majority of the population is unvaccinated. The said study published in the Scientific Reports added that the transmission rates of these new variants will be higher than the existing viruses due to their trait to infect vaccinated people.
Peter English, past chair of the British Medical Association's Public Health Medicine Committee shared that the unvaccinated majority will escape the pique of new variants and it will be the vaccinated countries that will be affected the most without a cure.
Though several researchers and field workers have advised against a lockdown they do suggest hastening the process of vaccination in poor countries to save the world. At present, WHO is stressing on even distribution of vaccinations across the world
