What Do You Need To Know About The Delta Variant? How To Take Care Of The Elderly?

There is still time till the world sees the end of covid-19. After 2 waves of destruction, the 3rd wave of Covid-19 or the Delta variant is now causing immense fear and panic among the people. As stated by the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the advent of the Delta strain was first identified in India, back in December 2020, and again in the United States in March 2021. 

The end of July marks the dominance of the Delta strain in the US with more than 80% of new Covid cases detected with this variant. The leading media houses and the Health Care centres expect West Bengal to be massively affected by the Delta variant quite soon. 

The news of the approaching third wave has already created an atmosphere of fear and panic among people, especially older adults. Therefore it is our responsibility to choose home care services in Kolkata for the elderly to deal with this situation professionally. To combat the menace that is expected by this strain, it is important that we spread awareness and be well-equipped with knowledge about the risk factors and how to protect ourselves.

Before we dive in let us first understand what the Delta variant is...

The Delta variant of covid-19 is termed as a variant of concern by the World Health Organisation. This is because it has high transmissibility and quickly spreads among people. The Delta variant is a result of the mutation of the old SARS-CoV-2 and is now stronger than before. Besides, the Delta variant is identified to be more contagious than the earlier Covid-19 variants. 

As per the leading Health Care centres, The Delta strain is expected to be two times more contagious than the previous strains. As per the data released on 10th August 2021, the Delta variant has spread across 142 countries and is still transmitting. 

Are the vaccines against covid-19 effective against the Delta strain?  

The covid-19 vaccination drive started back on 16th January 2021 and is still continuing. The vaccination program started with inoculating the citizens above 60 and is now allowing individuals above the age of 18 to get themselves vaccinated. 

The World Health Organisation approves the covid-19 vaccines to be highly effective at preventing death or serious illnesses by coronavirus including the Delta strain. To get maximum protection against the virus, it is important to get both the doses of vaccine as and when it is available to you. In the case of the older adults, the vaccination drive is still continuing and should get their shot of health as quickly as possible. 

In case you find it difficult to escort your aged parents to the vaccination centre you can get in touch with the leading geriatric care service providers like Rising Care to avail assistance for vaccination. Alternatively, you can also purchase their membership plan available at a minimum price of Rs. 1500/- and seek assistance as and when required without any hassle. 

Moving on...

On vaccination, one suffers a breakthrough infection, showing milder covid-19 symptoms. In such cases, it is recommended to seek medical help to bring down the adversities of the condition. Along with medical assistance, taking proper precautions are also necessary such as washing hands, wearing masks, using sanitizers, avoiding crowded places and more. 

Who are more at risk? 

There is a belief that the third wave is quite dangerous for children. However, the Delta strain does not specifically target children, and people across all age groups are at a higher risk of infection. Nevertheless, the ones unvaccinated are at a higher risk and susceptible to getting infected with the Delta strain faster than the ones vaccinated. Therefore, the health care organisations add more stress on the protection of the children and expect this strain to be highly dangerous for the younger ones. 

How to protect yourself and the elderly against the Delta strain? 

As the strain approaches at a heightened speed, it is important that we take all the preventive measures possible to combat the spread. Following the guidance will not only protect us but also the ones nearby. For the elderly, you can also choose to opt for eldercare. Just type “home care or elder care services near me” on the Search Engine page to find a list of the leading geriatric care service providers. Given below are some key points that one should remember to restrict from contracting the Delta variant. 

In addition to the above, be in regular touch with your physician and consult upon noticing the slightest symptoms. The symptoms for the Delta variant are quite similar to the initial Covid strain, which includes sore throat, fever, cough, shortness of breath and more. For the elderly, avail home care and emergency assistance to deal with sudden health concerns.