New Delta Virus Variant Escalates Lockdowns

STORY AT-A-GLANCE (Dr. Mercola)

• The emergence of a new SARS-CoV-2 variant from India, called “Delta,” may result in a new round of lockdowns around the world, including the U.K. and Chile
• Chile has one of the highest COVID-jab rates in the world; 58% of the population have received two doses and 75% have received their first dose. Santiago locked down as of June 10, 2021, after the capital reported the highest COVID-19 case numbers since the beginning of the pandemic
• Research by Public Health England (PHE) suggests two doses of Pfizer’s mRNA COVID shot is 88% effective against the Delta variant, while AstraZeneca’s DNA injection appears to be 60% effective. After a single dose, either of the shots was only 33% protective against symptomatic illness
• PHE claims the Delta variant is 64% more likely to transmit within households than the Kent (Alpha) variant that had previously dominated, and that it’s 40% more transmissible outdoors and more likely to affect younger people
• Variants are unlikely to pose significantly differing risk to people with natural immunity compared to the original, as resistance is primarily based on your T cells, which have been shown to recognize and attack variants that are up to 80% dissimilar. SARS-CoV-2 variants are at most 0.3% dissimilar from the original, which means T cell immunity will easily recognize and protect against them

New Delta Virus Variant Escalates Lockdowns (mercola.com)