(WSYM) — People who are not vaccinated against COVID-19 could potentially face the most serious virus in their lifetime. That’s according to former FDA commissioner, Dr. Scott Gottlieb.
I am very concerned. I think too many are hoping that the vaccinated population will protect them. But there are just not enough Americans vaccinated yet. And since the Delta strain is the most transmissible variant so far, it easily finds people who are not vaccinated.
In fact, it’s spreading like wildfire in communities with low vaccination rates. So it’s not surprising that our case numbers in the US are steadily rising. Forty-eight states so far have seen an increase in cases. Even here in Michigan, we’re seeing a rise in infections - many of them are up in the UP, in Gogebic County. But thankfully, our uptick in numbers is nowhere near the spike that’s happening in Los Angeles County in California. There the caseload has increased by 300% since July 4th.
We’re just not dealing with the same virus as last year. When a group of scientists examined 62 Delta variant cases and compared them with 63 virus cases from last year, they found that the Delta variant is very good at making copies of itself. And it copies itself much faster.
The researchers discovered that the viral load for the Delta variant was 1,260 times higher than earlier cases back in 2020. So it appears that the virus has mutated in a way that makes it easier to infect many more younger people than it did before. Even healthy people. And it’s sending them to the ER. And most of the people who are hospitalized are unvaccinated.
That’s why health experts like myself are constantly stressing the importance of getting vaccinated against COVID. Don’t let rumors and misinformation scare you. Your arm is not going to swell and need to be amputated. The vaccine will not alter your DNA or cause infertility. A tracking device is not injected. Please, if you have concerns, speak to a medical professional that you trust. Or visit the CDC’s website. Because if you choose not to get vaccinated, unfortunately, the consequences of not doing so could be severe.
