PHOENIX — The latest COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations have been fueled by the delta variant, according to medical experts.
Recently some Twitter questions have asked how the U.S. tests for the COVID Variant.
How do we test for delta?
“The delta variant is still the COVID-19 virus.” Dr. David Engelthaler, director at TGen said.
While delta has mutated to become more infectious and is spreading rapidly, at the end of the day it is still COVID-19. The same test we have used since the beginning of the pandemic, will still work for the delta Variant.
In fact, we do not learn what strain of COVID-19 someone may be infected with until after someone has tested positive, and that sample has been sent to a lab.
How do we know the number of delta infections?
In short sequencing of the genetic material in the viruses. TGen, ASU, the state and CDC all are groups that do sequencing of the virus.
However not every positive sample is tested. According to Engelthaler, around 12% of the state’s positive cases are sequenced. That sample is used to make a projection of the total.
Why is delta spreading so quickly?
Mutations that allow it to infect and spread more quickly are fueling Delta’s spread.
Since late July, more than 77% of all COVID cases were found to be the delta variant.
According to Engelthaler, the main mutation are in the little spikes in the COVID virus. Allowing it to have a better fit to infect human cells.
“A better key to fit into the lock of the human cell and it gains entry faster it replicates faster so you get more virus,” Engelthaler said.
After it gets in, the virus spreads rapidly. According to the doctor, the average viral load is 3-5 times larger than the original strain of COVID-19.
“Which just means there are more chances to get out of the person and infect another person” Engelthaler said.
How effective are vaccines against delta?
Very effective, but not quite as much as there were against the original strain.
We are learning more as more data come in. The MRNA vaccines were shown to be in the neighborhood of 94% in preventing infection.
With delta, that effectiveness has dropped to around 88% according to Engelthaler.
Because the virus can spread so quickly and produce such a high viral load, sometimes the virus can beat the immune system to the punch, getting someone sick before the immune response attacks the virus.
However, Engelthaler said the vaccines are incredibly effective against delta in preventing serious illness and remain the best tool to fight the pandemic.
“These are incredibly effective and as close to perfect as we can get with vaccines,” Engelthaler said. “So this is how we end the pandemic, is with this vaccine.”
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