TEMPE, AZ – Researchers are learning more about the delta variant as Arizona sees an increase in COVID-19 cases.
Dr. Joshua LaBaer, executive director of the ASU Biodesign Institute, said Tuesday that there is new research on why even vaccinated people can get and spread the virus.
“It responds to the vaccine, it’s that it gets there so fast, that a body doesn’t have a chance to respond quickly, and therefore it overwhelms the immune system before the person’s body has a chance to respond.” dit.
LaBaer explained: Even people who already have COVID or are vaccinated show high copies of the virus, meaning that there are many viruses in the body and it takes a bit of the system to fight.
The delta variant takes only three to four days to get there instead of four to five days with other variants. During this time, the virus can spread.
“We are seeing that vaccinated people who become infected continue to make a lot of copies of the virus,” he said. “People who have been vaccinated initially have a very high number of copies of this virus, but after several days it falls really fast and goes away. While when you look at unvaccinated people, it is initially very high and stays high for many days “.
That’s why Dr. LaBaer calls it an unvaccinated pandemic and is one of the reasons we see a significant increase in cases in children.
“I’m sure it’s a combination of the delta variant and the fact that the kids go back to school and a lot of them don’t wear masks right now and the fact that no vaccine is available,” he said.
He told Arizona that about a quarter of COVID cases are people under the age of 18 and that the fastest increase in cases occurs among children ages five to 15.
“We are seeing the fastest increase in rates in children we have seen during this entire pandemic,” he said.
Dr. LaBaer emphasized the effectiveness of vaccines, saying you are ten times less likely to become infected if you are vaccinated. And if you have the virus and you’re vaccinated,
“If you are not vaccinated, the chances of getting COVID-19 are extremely high. And if you have COVID-19, it is likely that you have been diagnosed with a disease more likely than any other in your life to put you in the hospital to kill you. you, ”Dr. LaBaer said.
ASU has seen an increase in demand for saliva testing. Dr. LaBaer said they are studying increasing collection sites in underserved communities