COVID delta variant: 99.75% of people who have died from the virus in Houston have not been vaccinated

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) – After seeing a significant decrease in COVID-19 cases, doctors say the Houston area is starting to see a slight increase and they are linking the change to the rapidly spreading delta variant.

Harris County Public Health said the delta variant could become the dominant variant in Houston, especially since it spreads more easily than the previous variant.

How prevalent is the delta variant in Houston?

As of March 2020, the Houston Methodist Hospital has been tracking all positive COVID cases that have been logged in its system. Researchers recently found that the delta variant is the most dominant in the cases they follow and is increasing rapidly.

The most recent data from the hospital shows that the variant accounts for 42% of cases, a 20% increase from the previous week.

The researchers found that the variant doubled every seven and a half days.

READ ALSO: The Delta COVID-19 variant is now present in more than 80 countries, according to the WHO

“The delta variant is of concern for two main reasons: firstly, it is more transmissible, which means that it spreads more easily from person to person, and secondly, we know that, compared to other variants , it is capable of causing more severe illness and more hospitalizations, “said Randall Olsen, infectious disease pathologist at the Houston Methodist.

Olsen said they are already starting to see those hospitalizations increase.

How transferable is the delta variant compared to other variants?

ABC13 spoke with Dr David Persse, the City of Houston Health Authority, and discussed what is known as the ‘R’ value, which looks at the following: For every person infected with a virus, how many more will be infected?

Regarding the flu, Persse said for every person who catches it, it is likely to infect an additional 1.1 people. For one of the originally reported strains of COVID, for every person infected, 2.5 people were infected.

As for the delta variant, for every person infected with the virus, it is likely to infect six other people.

“They think the Delta variant has an ‘R’ value of around six,” Persse said. “It’s a big leap. So each infected person, of course, will have to be in an environment of unvaccinated people. But for each infected person, they can then turn around and infect six other unvaccinated people.”

How effective are vaccines in preventing deaths from the virus?

One thing the experts know is that vaccinations work.

Persse said that since the vaccine became available, there have been 1,983 COVID-related deaths in the city of Houston.

Of those deaths, only five people were vaccinated, meaning that 99.75% of those who died from COVID were not vaccinated. Persse’s main message is that vaccines work and urge people to get vaccinated.

We know the best protection is vaccination, but what about children who cannot get vaccinated?

When it comes to the delta variant, doctors have several suggestions. First, make sure that everyone in your household who is eligible to receive the vaccine is getting it.

Also pay attention to what your children are doing. Do they participate in indoor activities with lots of other unvaccinated people?

WATCH: How Parents Can Protect Their Children From The Delta Variant

Another thing to consider is wearing a mask.

Dr Maria Rivera of Harris County Public Health said children over two years old should wear a mask.

“We know masks are no longer required in the state of Texas, but they are still highly recommended, and I would strongly recommend any child over the age of two to continue to mask,” Rivera said.

For more updates and developments on the COVID-19 vaccine, follow ABC13 reporter Marla Carter on Facebook,Twitter and Instagram.