What Are The Most Common Symptoms Of Covid
Fever and cough are the most common COVID-19 symptoms in children, according to the CDC. “The symptoms of COVID-19 are similar in adults and children and can look like other common illnesses, like colds, strep throat, or allergies,” the CDC reports. In addition to the COVID-19 symptoms listed above, children may also experience:
- stomachache
- poor feeding, especially for babies under 1 year old.
In some children, fever may be the only sign of COVID-19 infection.
What Are Some Of Those Issues
Before vaccines, CT was a reasonable proxy for viral load. But its unclear if thats the case for vaccinated individuals. When an individual mounts a successful immune response, infectious virus is destroyed, but RNA may remain. That explains why you may continue to test positive for COVID-19 months after you recover and are no longer a risk to others.
We dont yet know whether vaccine breakthrough cases are truly shedding high levels of infectious virus. The Barnstable report clearly states that the test results could be affected by factors other than viral load and that microbiological studies are required.
Additionally, in a yet-to-be published report from Singapore, breakthrough infections in vaccinated individuals achieved similar CT values to unvaccinated cases, but only for a brief amount of time. Vaccinated people were able to clear the virus much faster than unvaccinated people. Another study out of Imperial College London in the United Kingdom examined nearly 100,000 people from England between June 24 and July 12, 2021 . It found that vaccinated individuals had a lower viral load on average compared to unvaccinated individuals.
Are We Prepared Against The Delta Plus Variant In Terms Of Medical Requirements
According to the experts, we are better prepared in terms of oxygen supply and other medical needs in case the third coronavirus wave hits India. As per the latest surveys, about 60-70% of our population is immune to the deadly virus which was only 25-30% at the end of the first wave. Also, the nationwide vaccination drive is covering more people every day and thus reducing the risk of adverse effects of the new COVID-19 variant. However, if the delta plus variant breaks the immunity provided by the previous infection or vaccination, that can be a cause of concern. It is therefore advised to follow all COVID-19 protocols even if you are completely vaccinated.
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How Did The Delta Variant Come About
When a virus is circulating widely and causing numerous infections, the likelihood of the virus mutating increases. The more opportunities a virus has to spread, the more opportunities it has to undergo changes.
Experts are constantly monitoring new variants of the coronavirus that causes COVID-19 to see if they spread more easily, cause more severe disease, or could have an impact on the effectiveness of public health measures or vaccines.
The best way we can limit the transmission of COVID-19 is for people to get the vaccine when available to them and continue to follow existing advice on preventing the spread of the virus, including physical distancing, wearing masks, regular handwashing and keeping indoor areas well ventilated.
Most Contagious And Severe Variant
India’s B.1.617.2, aka the Delta variant, is the newest CDC variant of concern, Dr. Fryhofer said during an episode of the AMA COVID-19 Update about COVID-19 vaccines and variants. Experts say Delta’s a super spreader.
WHO says it’s already spread to at least 80 countries, she explained, noting that it’s about 60% more transmissible than B.1.1.7, the U.K. variant, now newly named the Alpha variant.
Delta is now the dominant variant in the U.K. and it is probably the most contagious variant we’ve seen yet, and it’s here in the U.S., Dr. Fryhofer said.
Even though this variant is hyper transmissible, a full vaccination series seems to protect against it, but you need both doses of a two-dose seriesone mRNA vaccine dose may not be enough, she added.
We know that it appears to be both more contagious and more severe than earlier versions of the virus, explained Dr. Irons explained during a separate episode of the AMA COVID-19 Update on vaccination efforts and Novavax. We’re seeing patients becoming sicker and their conditions are worsening much more quickly.
That’s why many experts are concerned that cases will eventually start to rise as Delta becomes the dominant form of the virus, she added. But again, the one very big piece of encouraging news: The vaccines continue to work extremely well against the variants based on evidence we have so far.
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How Can You Tell The Difference Between The Flu And Covid
Influenza and COVID-19 are both contagious respiratory illnesses and they have similar symptoms. It may be difficult to tell the difference based on symptoms alone, but there are two key differences, according to the CDC:
- Those infected with COVID-19 sometimes experience change in or loss of taste and smell, which is less commonly a symptom of the flu.
- The USC researchers said the flu usually begins with a cough, whereas COVID-19 most often starts with a fever.
- People infected with flu typically develop symptoms 1-4 days after infection. Those with COVID-19 typically develop symptoms 5 days after being infected. However, people infected with COVID-19 can show symptoms as early as 2 days or as late as 14 days after infection.
Vaccines Vs Delta Variant
Since the Delta variant emerged, scientists have been trying to establish whether the current COVID-19 vaccines are as effective against it.
Recent studies show theres been a slight decrease in observed effectiveness since March, when the Delta variant only made up 7 percent of COVID-19 cases in the United States.
By the time July rolled around, this figure skyrocketed to 94 percent.
Scientists say immunity may wane over time and new more infectious variants in a population may affect vaccine effectiveness, among many other factors.
However, according to the latest study released by the CDC, unvaccinated people are over 10 times more likely to be hospitalized with COVID-19 than vaccinated people.
Unvaccinated people are also 11 times more likely to die of COVID-19 than vaccinated people, the study found.
We broke down what the current data says. New research could mean this data will change over time.
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Do I Really Need To Know If I Had Covid
Yes. Its important to know if you’re infected with COVID-19 for three reasons:
Does The Omicron Variant Cause More Severe Illness Than Other Strains Of Covid
Omicron is more likely to cause less severe illness compared to other variants. For example, preliminary data suggest that infection with omicron results in hospitalization at about half the rate compared to infection with delta. Given how infectious omicron is, its important for everyone to take all precautions, including getting vaccinated and wearing a mask.
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How The Delta Variant Is Affecting Both The Vaccinated And Unvaccinated
This week Dr. Greg and colleague Vaneet Arora, associate professor and associate director of clinical microbiology in the UK College of Medicine, separate myth from fact when it comes to the rapidly spreading, highly transmissable Delta Variant of COVID-19.
Here’s more info on the Delta Variant from UK Now:
As the SARS-CoV-2 delta variant continues to spread across the United States and hospitals COVID-positive intake numbers climb again, many questions remain around both vaccine effectiveness and vaccination rates, and what these numbers could mean moving into the fall.
Recently, a small panel of experts across the University of Kentucky and UK HealthCare participated in a discussion on these issues and what they mean for Kentucky. Becky Dutch, Ph.D., a virologist and the vice dean for research with the UK College of Medicine Vince Venditto, Ph.D., an assistant professor of pharmaceutical sciences in the UK College of Pharmacy Dr. Ashley Montgomery-Yates, UK HealthCare chief medical officer for inpatient and emergency services and Dr. Aaron Grubbs, an infectious disease physician and UK HealthCare assistant medical director of infection prevention and control, are among the experts across various specialties at UK who are closely following the latest data trends.
As we look to the fall, do you expect to see another surge of hospitalizations if the vaccination rate in Kentucky does not increase?
Will there be a need for a COVID vaccine booster this fall or winter?
Delta Infections Among Vaccinated Likely Contagious Lambda Variant Shows Vaccine Resistance In Lab
People queue to receive a dose of the Pfizer BioNTech vaccine at the Central Middlesex Hospital in London, Britain, August 1, 2021. REUTERS/Henry Nicholls/Files
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Delta breakthrough infections likely contagious
Among people infected by the Delta variant of the coronavirus, fully vaccinated people with “breakthrough” infections may be just as likely as unvaccinated people to spread the virus to others, new research suggests. The higher the amount of coronavirus in the nose and throat, the more likely the patient will infect others.
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In one Wisconsin county, after Delta became predominant, researchers analyzed viral loads on nose-and-throat swab samples obtained when patients were first diagnosed. They found similar viral loads in vaccinated and unvaccinated patients, with levels often high enough to allow shedding of infectious virus. “A key assumption” underlying current regulations aimed at slowing COVID-19 transmission “is that those who are vaccinated are at very low risk of spreading the virus to others,” said study coauthor Katarina Grande of Public Health Madison & Dane County in Madison, Wisconsin.
Lambda variant shows vaccine resistance
Third mRNA dose may boost antibody quantity, but not quality
Majority of U.S. childcare providers are vaccinated
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How Dangerous Is The Delta Variant And Will It Cause A Covid Surge In The Us
A new, more transmissible form of SARS-CoV-2 is rapidly spreading in the country and poses a threat to unvaccinated and partially vaccinated people
The Delta variant is here. First identified in India, this more transmissible form of the novel coronavirus has spread to at least 77 countries and regions and now makes up more than 20 percent of all U.S. cases. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has identified it as a variant of concern. If vaccination rates fail to keep pace with its spread, experts say, the variant could lead to new COVID surges in parts of the country where a substantial proportion of the population remains unvaccinated.
It is the most hypertransmissible, contagious version of the virus weve seen to date, for sureits a superspreader strain if there ever was one, says Eric Topol, a professor of molecular medicine and an executive vice president at the Scripps Research Institution. The U.S. is poorly prepared, he says. Less than half of the nations population is fully vaccinatedand that number is much lower in some states, particularly in the South and Mountain West. Weve been warned three times by the U.K., Topol says, referring to previous surges in early 2020 and last winter. This time is the third warning.
*Editors Note : This sentence was updated with new information about the Delta variants prevalence in the U.S.
Surge Potential In California
Some states are seeing dramatic increases in infections due to the Delta variant in areas where vaccination rates are low. However, Pollock does not foresee lockdowns like we had in March, 2020, because of the presence of vaccines. That has changed the game completely, he said.
Sacramento County now has one of the highest COVID-19 infection rates in the state. The countys vaccination rate is around 47%.
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The Bottom Line: Vaccination Is The Best Protection And Prevention Against The Delta Variant
Being fully vaccinated:
- Protects you from the virus
- Lessens severity of disease if infected
- Protects those who are not yet eligible to get vaccinated
- Protects those who may not be able to mount a robust immune response to the vaccines
- Prevents the virus from replicating and potentially mutating, leading to more variants
There is still a lot to learn about the delta variant, including if it causes more severe disease in nonimmune individuals, including young, healthy people. At this time, the data is mixed. Although uncommon, researchers are also studying how often breakthrough infections in fully vaccinated people occur and how fully vaccinated people can spread COVID-19 to others. Research is also underway regarding booster vaccines to determine if they will be needed in the future due to new variants, waning immunity or both and whether certain individuals may develop waning immunity faster than others.
For more COVID vaccine information and updates, visit:
Delta Variant Still Transmissible For Fully Vaccinated
Having two doses of a COVID-19 vaccine remains the most effective way of ensuring protection against the Delta variant first identified in India, preliminary research has found.
A preprint study by scientists at the University of Oxford found that both the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine and the AstraZeneca/Oxford vaccine offered good protection against the Delta variant but that effectiveness was reduced compared with the Alpha variant that was first identified in the UK.
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How Dangerous Is The Delta Variant
To a world that has become weary, yet accustomed to playing defense against SARS-CoV-2, evolution of the Delta variant is both unwelcome and unsurprising. Delta, or B.1.617.2, was first identified in India in Dec. 2020. Within a matter of months, this particular variant spread to over 98 countries around the world, becoming the dominant variant in more than a dozen of those countries, including India, the U.K., Israel and the United States. Delta is now responsible for more than 83% of COVID-19 cases being reported in the U.S. and, with only 48% of the total U.S. population fully vaccinated, conditions are ripe for continued evolution and spread of SARS-CoV-2. Three foundational questions continue to drive research with each new variant thats identified.
Omicron Variant Has Taken Over
In the late summer and fall or 2021, the delta variant was the dominate strain of COVID-19 in the U.S. Since December 2021, the omicron variant has taken over as the main mutation of COVID-19. Although the omicron variant is likely more contagious than any other strain to date, it’s generally causing less severe symptoms than the delta variant.
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Where Did The Delta Variant Come From
The Delta variant was first identified in India in December 2020 and led to major outbreaks in the country. It then spread rapidly and is now reported in 104 countries, according to a CDC tracker.
As of early July, Delta has become the dominant form of the coronavirus in the U.S., U.K., Germany, and other countries. In the U.K., for instance, the Delta variant now makes up more than 97% of new COVID-19 cases, according to Public Health England.
What Should I Know About Long Haulers Or People Who Experience Long
Coronavirus symptoms can last weeks or months for some people, known as “long haulers”. These people have, in theory, recovered from the worst impacts of COVID-19 and are no longer contagious. However, they still have symptoms. There seems to be no consistent reason for the symptoms to stay around so long.
This condition can effect anyone old and young, otherwise healthy people and those battling other conditions. It has been seen in those who were hospitalized with COVID-19 and patients with very mild symptoms. However, it appears to be less common in children compared to adults. Additionally, it’s less common for those who have breakthrough infections to get the virus vs. unvaccinated people.
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Given The Evolving Science Should People Wear Masks Even If Theyre Vaccinated
The effectiveness of universal masking depends on a lot of factors, including the level of immunity in a given community, compliance with mask adoption as well as the quality of masks used. What hasnt changed is that the best protection against COVID-19 is to get vaccinated.
Remember that exposure mattersboth in duration and intensity of exposure. If you are in a poorly ventilated, crowded indoor environment for a long period of time where the vaccination status of people around you is unknown, wearing a mask offers another layer of protection. Of course, avoiding such environments will eliminate that exposure entirely.
Delta Plus Variant In India: Top 5 Questions Answered
As the Delta and Delta Plus COVID-19 variants have started to wreak havoc in different corners of the world, experts have warned that the highly infectious strain is capable of causing a third wave. Here are some of the most important questions answered which may help you stay safe from the infection.
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Learn How To Keep Yourself And Your Family Safe From The Delta Variant Of Covid
People around the world are concerned about the highly-contagious Delta variant of COVID-19. Weve gathered the latest expert information to answer some of the most common questions about this new variant and will continue to update this article as more information becomes available.
For more tips and information on COVID-19, see our COVID-19 guide for parents
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