The Delta variant – the latest strain of the SARS-CoV-2 virus that causes COVID-19 – is spreading rapidly throughout the world. It is now the dominant strain in the United States, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. With almost two-thirds of Alabamians unvaccinated, some health care providers are concerned there will be a resurgence of COVID-19 in the fall.

Dr. Jeanne Marrazzo, professor of medicine and director of the University of Alabama at Birmingham’s Division of Infectious Diseases, said the variant is between 50 and 90 percent more infectious than other COVID-19 variants.

“We’re in an arms race against these evolving variants,” Marrazzo said. We have a window of time when we can ramp up vaccinations in our vulnerable populations, including young people at this point, in order to stave off the chance that this variant is going to get a substantial foothold in our population.”

Experts from the University of Alabama at Birmingham encourage everyone to get vaccinated to prevent the spread of the Delta variant, which is believed to be much more contagious and more harmful than original strains. (UAB)

The Delta variant is believed to be more harmful than original strains. People who become infected with the Delta variant, evidence suggests, are more likely to become severely ill or hospitalized.

Dr. Paul Goepfert, professor with the UAB Division of Infectious Diseases, says the leading hypothesis suggests the Delta variant has changed the composition of the virus’s spike protein to allow itself to enter a cell more efficiently. This mutation allows the spike protein to better attach to the cells that line the respiratory tract, including the throat, nasal passages and lungs.

Dr. Michael Saag, director of the UAB Center for AIDS Research and professor in the School of Medicine, explains how quickly one can become infected with the Delta variant:

“If you are in an enclosed space with somebody with the original strain, it may take eight to 10 minutes on average for you to pick up the infection,” Saag said. “With the Delta variant, you might be in the room for less than a minute, and you can become infected with the virus. That’s how infectious it is, and the people who are the most vulnerable are the unvaccinated.”

Goepfert emphasizes that current evidence suggests the mRNA vaccines are up to 90 percent effective against COVID-19 variants. He reminds people that the other coronavirus strains developed when there was little to no vaccine around.

“Thirty percent of Alabamians are fully vaccinated, but the rest are not,” Goepfert said. “So, we have a virus that sees an immune system that it wants to get around. If COVID has taught us anything, I suspect this virus is going to learn to mutate into a new variant to get around the vaccine-induced immune response. The best way to never see this new variant is to stop it from developing in the first place. The way to do that is by getting vaccinated.”

Saag says even children are at risk for experiencing severe illness and hospitalization with the new variant and encourages parents to get their eligible children vaccinated. He added that young people in particular are a reservoir for continuing the propagation of the virus, and getting them vaccinated is an important step in mitigating the spread of the coronavirus.

“Vaccination rates are relatively low for Alabama, and when – not if, but when – Delta gets here in larger numbers, it’s like kindling wood for a wildfire,” Saag said. “Without the vaccine, it’s like playing Russian roulette with the virus.”

Over the next few months, the UAB team will be watching hospitalization rates and gathering information on how children respond to the variant, the degree of protection the vaccine provides and whether booster shots may be needed.

For more information about getting vaccinated at UAB, click here.

This story originally appeared on the UAB News website.