COVID-19 Delta Variant Leading to Increased Concern in Washington

by JBullock

Justin Bullock, FISM News

 

There is increasing concern that the recent surge of the COVID-19 Delta variant in the US may cause government officials to re-institute prevention measures that America has just begun to rid itself of. The Delta strand of the virus is much more resistant to medical treatment, including the Pfizer vaccine, and is also more infectious than the original base virus. It is now the dominant strand of the virus around the world and accounts for over 80% of new cases in the US which are rapidly rising.

The White House is currently debating whether or not to re-implement the mask mandate from the CDC and is also reportedly considering reestablishing social distancing requirements, despite still relatively low hospitalization numbers. Chief medical officer at the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials, Marcus Plescia, spoke with CDC officials on several phone conferences this week and told The Washington Post, “It’s fair to say they are reconsidering everything… I think everything’s on the table.”

Amidst these worries at the national level, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis is facing pressure from his home state as COVID-19 infections have steadily increased, with almost 1 out of every 5 new infections in America being diagnosed in his state. This increase comes as DeSantis appears to be eyeing a presidential run in 2024.

DeSantis is extremely popular among Republicans across the US, much of it due to his handling of the pandemic and being one of the first to get rid of COVID restrictions. He was a staunch supporter of former President Trump and is someone who has proven that he will stand up to the Democratic party. He will be running for reelection as governor next year but many political analysts are saying that he is already looking forward to a 2024 presidential bid. The increase in COVID cases in his state, however, may provide fodder for his political opponents to use against him.

The Delta variant’s impact is not limited to the US either. Throughout Europe and the rest of the world, the new strand is infecting people at a significant rate. In Italy this re-emergence of COVID-19 has resulted in the implementation of a pass system whereby residents will have to be able to present documentation that details their health status in order to access public spaces like movie theaters, gyms, or even restaurants. This documentation is known as “green passes” and they will be mandatory for residents of Italy beginning August 6.

Meanwhile, in China, the Chinese Communist Party is still resisting the investigation into the origin of the virus in Wuhan. Discovering the definitive answer to this question would significantly assist doctors as they seek to discover the proper way to treat the cases of infections and also strengthen vaccines. It is unclear why China is so resistant to outside investigation, but the implication is that it is indirect confirmation that the virus originated in a Chinese virology lab in Wuhan. The US and other national governments continue to conduct their own investigations as best they can despite the Chinese resistance.

COVID-19 and its reemergence has also had indirect impacts in the public health sphere as well. Due to the pandemic, and especially the quarantine restrictions that were implemented around the world, the infection rate for regular diseases like the common cold or even the flu have dropped substantially. However, to a certain degree it is good for a portion of the global population to come down with a cold or the flu.

The reason for this is that this typically results in a large portion of the global population having antibodies for these sicknesses as well as stronger natural immune systems. However, as less people have contracted these more common illnesses, the natural resistances and antibodies across large populations have decreased which doctors have warned may result in more severe cases of the common cold or flu.

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