July 21, 2021
The Delta variant has continued its march through Alabama, infecting at least 2,129 people in the last 2 days. Alabama has averaged nearly 1,000 new cases per day over the last 7 days, essentially erasing the progress made since mid-February. Hospitalizations also continued to spike, totaling 602 confirmed patients in 110 reporting hospitals, or 5.47 patients per hospital. In the last 14 days, Alabama’s infections have risen 738%; hospitalizations 81%; and deaths 190%.
Dr. Brytney Cobia, an emergency room physician at Grandview Medical Center in Birmingham, made clear what is at stake. “I’m admitting young healthy people to the hospital with very serious COVID infections,” said Cobia. “One of the last things they do before they’re intubated is beg me for the vaccine. I hold their hand and tell them that I’m sorry, but it’s too late.” Cobia said the current wave of patients reminds her of last October and November, just before Alabama’s last peak infections, when Cobia was signing up to 10 death certificates a day.
Yet, there are some major differences between now and last November. First, the low vaccination rate in some places, like Alabama, has allowed the virus to mutate. As Jefferson County’s Health Officer, Dr. Mark Wilson explained, the Delta variant can be transmitted within seconds of person-to-person contact, far quicker than the original strain of coronavirus, which requires more than 15 minutes.
A second major difference is that the current crisis is totally preventable. Vaccines have been proven to protect against the Delta variant. Although the Delta variant can break through a vaccinated person, in such cases the disease is of short duration with mild symptoms. According to UAB’s Dr. Michael Saag, 99.2% of all Covid-deaths since May 1 are persons who were unvaccinated, which is stunning testimony to the efficacy of vaccines.
A third difference is that Delta’s primary target is younger people. Over 80% of Alabamians over the age of 65 have been vaccinated, while only 20% of those between the ages of 18 and 35 have received a vaccine.
Schools open in most of the South in early August, which adds additional risk. Again, Dr. Saag: “The responsible thing ... is to require a mask. And if [schools] won’t step up and do the right thing, then parents should take care of their own kids by having them wear a mask ... A mask does most of its work covering the mouth and nose of someone who’s infected. So even if your kid goes to school with a mask and they’re not infected, if a child next to them has COVID, the mask on your child will help some, but the best protection for your child is for the other child to be wearing a mask… A lot of times kids are infected for several days before they develop symptoms, spread the virus before they know they’re sick, and so the exposure can happen inadvertently just in the normal activities of what kids do.”
The Delta variant is laying waste not only to Alabama, but to much of the rest of the South. Louisiana reported 5,388 new cases today. Mississippi reported 2,326 cases on Monday. Florida - 24,032 cases on Tuesday, followed by 8,988 more today. Arkansas - 2,522 on Tuesday and 1,875 more today. Dr. Cobia offered this observation, which should be disturbing to every medical doctor: “The one question I always ask [my patients] is, did you make an appointment with your primary care doctor and ask them for their opinion on whether or not you should receive the vaccine? So far, nobody has answered yes to that question.” The totals:
7/9 - 1,160
7/10 - 534
7/12 - 610
7/14 -1,398
7/15 - 965
7/16 - 999
7/19 - 2,343
7/21 - 2,129