Given how long the novel coronavirus has been a threat and how many people it’s infected, it was only a matter of time before variants of said virus emerged.
Furthermore, the refusal of millions of Americans to get vaccinated against COVID-19 has hastened the spread of such variants – and given way to the creation of new ones.
Currently accounting for the majority of new infections, the Delta is even more infectious and deadly than the standard strain of the novel coronavirus – which is already quite infectious and deadly. Anyone looking for effective ways to protect their health and avoid the Delta variant will be well-served by the following pointers.
Get Vaccinated ASAP
When it comes to avoiding the Delta variant, nothing is more effective than getting vaccinated.
Although the COVID-19 vaccines shouldn’t be viewed as magical shields that prevent every possible infection, they’ve done a fantastic job of fulfilling their primary purpose – preventing serious and fatal cases of COVID-19.
Breakthrough cases are still possible, which is the case with every vaccine. However, if you’re infected with standard COVID-19 or the Delta variant while fully vaccinated, your odds of winding up in the hospital are extremely low. In fact, as of July 2021, unvaccinated individuals account for 99% of COVID-19 fatalities.
So, unless you have a medical condition that prohibits you from receiving vaccines, get vaccinated against COVID-19 as soon as you can – and encourage others to do the same.
For one thing, vaccines in the U.S. are currently available free of charge, so affordability shouldn’t be an issue. Furthermore, no matter where you live, you shouldn’t have to look very far to find a medical center, clinic or pharmacy that administers vaccines.
Given how accessible vaccines are in this country, very few Americans have legitimate excuses to be walking around unvaccinated.
Avoid Contact with Unvaccinated Individuals Whenever Possible
As previously stated, few individuals have valid excuses for not receiving vaccines. Unfortunately, this doesn’t change the fact that millions of Americans seemingly don’t care about public health and have absolutely no qualms about exposing themselves or others to COVID-19.
In some cases, this is due to pure laziness. Other times, it’s outright ignorance. However, regardless of someone’s reason for not receiving a vaccine, you shouldn’t grace that person with your company.
For starters, you stand to expose yourself to virus particles, which you then stand to pass on to others.
Secondly, interacting with people who are willfully unvaccinated serves to legitimize their negligent behavior and lend credence to the mistaken notion that the seriousness of the novel coronavirus and the effectiveness of the vaccination are somehow debatable.
You can also avoid potential contact with unvaccinated individuals by taking care of certain errands remotely. Fortunately, you can easily get prescriptions online, take advantage of curbside pickup options and have virtually any product under the sun delivered to your home in a timely manner.
Work Remotely
Remote work has become an increasingly popular concept throughout the course of the pandemic.
Although many companies used to scoff at the very notion of telecommuting, the highly infectious nature of COVID-19 facilitated the need for them to rethink their stance on remote work.
So, if you have a job that can be done remotely and your employer has yet to fully embrace remote work, request that you be allowed to carry out your professional duties from the safety of home.
At present, a fair number of businesses are not requiring employees to be vaccinated, and there’s no reason you should be expected to place yourself in this kind of danger.
Working with unmasked, unvaccinated and potentially infected individuals can be particularly dangerous to people who are immunocompromised and/or live with people who are.
Keep Wearing Masks
Regardless of your vaccination status, you should continue to wear masks whenever you’re at work or out in public. Even though many states and businesses have relaxed masking rules in recent months, the recent surge in new infections is reason enough to continue masking up.
Millions of Americans long to see the COVID-19 pandemic reach a long-overdue conclusion. Unfortunately, as long as people continue to resist vaccination, masking and other common sense precautions, the novel coronavirus will remain an active threat well into the future.
This is particularly evident in the rapid spread of the Delta variant, which is sweeping the country and facilitating a significant increase in new infection numbers. To help protect yourself and your loved ones from the Delta variant – and all forms of COVID-19 – put the tips discussed above into practice.
