August 12, 2021
In late July, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended that vaccinated people return to wearing face masks in areas of the country where COVID-19 cases are surging.
The reason? The rapid spread of the delta variant in the U.S., and the ability of the variant to potentially infect even vaccinated individuals.
In Alabama, the state recorded nearly 180 hospitalized COVID-19 patients at the beginning of July. By the end of the month, that number had grown some 400% to nearly 920. In Tuscaloosa, hospital cases more than quadrupled.
The delta variant is more transmissible than COVID-19, and we’re seeing that. The variant is a highly contagious SARS-CoV-2 strain that was first identified in India in December 2020. It moved rapidly through that country and Great Britain as well. The first delta variant case in the U.S. was diagnosed in March 2021, and it has quickly become the dominant strain in this country.
This is quite a change from the spring, when COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations and deaths were steadily falling. At the time, the CDC eased guidance for fully vaccinated people, saying they could forgo wearing masks outdoors in crowds, as well as in most indoor settings. The guidance still called for mask wearing in crowded indoor settings like airports and bus terminals, on planes and buses, and in hospitals.
By the outset of summer, however, the delta variant was spreading widely inthe U.S., especially in areas with lower vaccination rates. While most new COVID-19 and delta variant infections continue to be among those who are unvaccinated, so-called “breakthrough” infections have occurred in vaccinated people.
Breakthrough infections typically cause milder symptoms and illness in the vaccinated and appear to provide strong protection from serious illness and hospitalization. And from what we know so far, people who are fully vaccinated against COVID-19 also appear to have protection against the delta variant.
At University Medical Center, it is our mission to care for West Alabama. To that end, we are expanding the days and times that UMC provides COVID-19 vaccines to our patients and our University of Alabama community – faculty, staff and students. In the coming days, please watch for information about our expanded COVID-19 vaccine clinics.
The best strategy to combat COVID-19 and the delta variant is to get vaccinated.
The College of Community Health Sciences operates University Medical Center
