The Emergence of the Delta Variant: A New Wave?

By Serena Lee

When news of the highly contagious variant — the Delta Variant — first arrived in the United States I, along with many of my peers, was not worried. In both the state of New York and the US as a whole, more than half of the population had been vaccinated and cases had been trending downward . Of course, the Coronavirus itself was not yet eradicated, but for the first time in a while, there seemed to be hope that this pandemic — which had shaken the entire world — would no longer be as significant. As restaurants and shops opened up, parks filled with people, and the number of people no longer wearing masks increased, I was filled with a sense of hope and a carelessness which seemed to permeate through the country.

However, it is important to realize that the Delta variant represents a wake-up call about the situation that we are in. The variant now accounts for 83% of new COVID-19 cases, and it is significantly more contagious and can lead to stronger symptoms. Though vaccinations are the strongest protection we have against the continued cases, even that shield is not impermeable. Though many have been vaccinated, a large percentage of the population has not been. This significantly lowers our collective immunity and weakens our protections against the Delta variant. Additionally, there is no effective way to actually prove that one has been vaccinated. Though the vaccination cards provide some sort of proof, people are not required to show them when they visit restaurants, shops, and other public places. At the start of the vaccination campaign, the system was labeled inefficient, especially in its delivery and accessibility. However, the biggest issue currently is that while a large proportion of the population remains unvaccinated, there is no way to distinguish between them and those who have been vaccinated. After all, a paper card with one’s initials on it is not exactly the most foolproof form of evidence.

Considering the topic of vaccination itself is a major public health issue and involves difficult subjects, including ethical concerns over autonomy, privacy, it is difficult to reach a consensus on what level of vaccination verification is just and necessary. The pandemic as a whole has shown us that there is a controversy in the way we address public health issues, especially when considering issues of personal autonomy, as seen by the backlash to mandated quarantines, social distancing, and mask mandates. The controversy over coercive vaccination measures vis-a-vie one’s personal autonomy and freedom is an important public health issue.

Pragmatically speaking, creating a system which provides accessible information on people’s vaccination status seems infeasible. And yet, the rise of the Delta Variant and the associated rise in cases proves to us that Coronavirus is far from being a thing of the past. So what can we do in the meantime?

I believe that we must once again work to shift the mindsets of the public to recognize that Coronavirus still is a severely dangerous and contagious virus. It is necessary to understand that this is no easy task; in fact, it may be more difficult to persuade people now than when the coronavirus first appeared. Society has grasped tightly to the freedom and hope that reappeared in the past couple months, and people do not want to give up from these values. However, it is critical that those aware of the gravity of the situation show society the illusory aspect of the “safety” they cling to is not enough, and we must help people recognize the still-existing dangers and risks. People must continue to wear masks in public spaces, social distance, and promote vaccines to those who remain skeptical. Although it may be difficult to go back on the freedoms which we so recently recovered, we must do so, as the Delta Variant continues to affect many lives.