Delta for Delta

Recently, we were seeing rays of hope. After more than a year of the pandemic, there is a reason for us to hold on to at least cautious optimism—that the pandemic could be over soon. But experts want us to know that there is still a concern that new mutations of the virus could bring it back, and it might be even stronger. And the variant is labeled as Delta.

Delta is the fourth letter of the Greek alphabet. In the system of Greek numerals it has a value of 4. Scientists make use of this mathematical meaning of delta in various branches of science. In general physics, delta terms change and delta-v is simply a change in velocity. Uppercase delta (Δ) at most times means “change” or “the change” in mathematics.

The expression “what’s the delta” and variations are commonly used in business to refer to the difference between two things, or the rate of change between two states, depending on the context. In geography, deltas are wetlands that form as rivers empty their water and sediment into another body of water. The Nile delta, created as it empties into the Mediterranean Sea, has a classic delta formation.

In biometrics and fingerprint scanning, the delta point is a pattern of a fingerprint that resembles the Greek letter delta. The delta is that point on a ridge at or in front of and nearest the center of the divergence of the type lines in a fingerprint.

Threatcon Delta in the military is a critical threat level. This condition applies in the immediate area where a terrorist attack has occurred or when intelligence has been received that terrorist action against a specific location or person is likely. Delta Force, officially known as 1st Special Forces Operational Detachment-delta (1st SFOD-D), are the most highly trained elite forces in the US military. Delta Force is the special-mission unit for counterterrorism and hostage rescues. Created in the late 1970s, the Delta Force has been at the very tip of the US military spear for decades. Delta’s known and successful missions include finding Saddam Hussein and tracking down Abu Musab Al-zarqawi.

In the language of the pandemic, Delta is a variant of the coronavirus that created epicenters in India and Indonesia, and continuously posing a threat to the Philippines and the rest of the world.

Is it a coincidence that this Delta variant is bringing about change in the way we are seeing the silver lining in this pandemic experience? It seems to be bringing our Covid situation to a critical threat level, which requires a special and new ways of fighting the unseen terrorist.

Understanding the Delta variant

THE new naming conventions for the variants were established by the WHO at the beginning of June as an alternative to numerical names and the labelling of the strain from its country of first identification. The Alpha strain first appeared in Great Britain while the Beta first surfaced in South Africa. The Gamma strain was identified in Brazil and the Delta originally surfaced in India. To date, there is already an epsilon variant first diagnosed in the US.

Delta is the name for the B.1.617.2. variant, a SARS-COV-2 mutation that originally surfaced in India. It was in December 2020 that the first Delta case was identified. The strain spread rapidly and soon become the dominant strain of the virus in both India and then Great Britain. By the end of June, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimated that the Delta had already made up more than 20 percent of cases in the US.

The World Health Organization has called this version of the virus “the fastest and fittest.” In mid-june, the CDC labeled Delta as “a variant of concern.”

Inci Yildimrim, MD, PHD, a Yale Medicine pediatric infectious diseases specialist and a vaccinologist, isn’t surprised by what’s happening. “All viruses evolve over time and undergo changes as they spread and replicate,”

she says. But one thing that is unique about Delta is how quickly it is spreading, says F. Perry Wilson, MD, a Yale Medicine epidemiologist. Around the world, he says, “Delta will certainly accelerate the pandemic.”

Yale Medicine presents five things to know about the Delta variant.

Delta is more contagious than the other virus strains. “It’s actually quite dramatic how the growth rate will change,” says Dr. Wilson. Delta is spreading 50 percent faster than Alpha, which was 50 percent more contagious than the original strain of SARS-COV-2, he says. “In a completely unmitigated environment—where no one is vaccinated or wearing masks—it’s estimated that the average person infected with the original coronavirus strain will infect 2.5 other people,” Dr. Wilson says. “In the same environment, Delta would spread from one person to maybe 3.5 or 4 other people.”

Unvaccinated people are at risk. This gives more reason for the reluctant members of the communities to reconsider getting the vaccine.

Delta could lead to “hyperlocal outbreaks.” If Delta continues to move fast enough to accelerate the pandemic, Dr. Wilson says the biggest questions will be about transmissibility—how many people will get the Delta variant and how fast will it spread?

There is still more to learn about Delta. Medicine is still figuring out if the Delta strain will make one sicker than the original virus. A study from Scotland showed the Delta variant was about twice as likely as Alpha to result in hospitalization in unvaccinated individuals, but other data has shown no significant difference. On the effect to the body, there have been reports of symptoms that are different than those associated with the original coronavirus strain where cough and loss of smell are less common. Headache, sore throat, runny nose, and fever are present based on the most recent surveys in the UK, where more than 90 percent of the cases are due to the Delta strain.

Vaccination is the best protection against Delta. The most important thing you can do to protect yourself from Delta is to get fully vaccinated. But whether or not one is vaccinated, it’s also important to follow CDC prevention guidelines that are available for vaccinated and unvaccinated people.

DELTA for DELTA

Here are some suggestions on how to deal with the coronavirus, regardless of what Greek alphabet it is labelled:

Decide to get the vaccine. It remains as science’s best solution so far.

engage in physical distancing and other health protocols like wearing of masks and staying outdoors and in well ventilated areas as much as possible.

Listen to reliable information and share validated ones to your family and friends.

Take immune boosting living style like proper nutrition, adequate hydration, sufficient sleep and rest and stress management.

Accept that we have to co-exist with the coronavirus that could reach Omega in its mutation.

Like everything in life, we should deal with the coronavirus with caution and diligence as we live in the most normal way. In the light of the Delta variant reported to be in our midst, all we can hope for is a government that will be transparent and strategic in leading its people out of this ordeal, and for our people to realize that it is everyone’s responsibility to change, just like the symbolism of a Delta, towards the end of this pandemic.