Video: COVID-19 Why it Matters Part 23, Delta Variant, protect yourself and others

This video series features UW-Green Bay’s Immunologist Brian Merkel on COVID-19 and Why it Matters. This series empowers viewers with knowledge to help them navigate through the pandemic. Merkel has a Ph.D. in Microbiology & Immunology from the Medical College of Virginia. He is an associate professor in UW-Green Bay’s Human Biology & Biology programs and has an appointment at the Medical College of Wisconsin Department of Microbiology and Immunology. He will be responding to a number of questions related to COVID-19 and try to get behind the “why” it’s important to be educated in your decision-making as we navigate the pandemic together.

Video Transcript-COVID-19 Why it Matters: Part 23, Delta Variant, protect yourself and others

Brian Merkel, UW-Green Bay Microbiology and Immunology, and we’re here to talk about why COVID-19 continues to matter to all of us. Delta 19 is a variant of the COVID-19 virus that is highly transmissible.

Variants emerge from this virus through infections and in more cases. So, the more cases there are, the more opportunities there are for this virus to mutate and evolve into something else. So, vaccines are really important to COVID-19 for three reasons. Number one, it prevents infection. Number two, should you become infected your chance of having moderate to severe illness, in other words becoming hospitalized, is greatly reduced because you’ve been vaccinated. And lastly, what I would say is you take away opportunities for the virus to cause more infections, and what that means is you’re going to decrease the burden of the virus in the environment.

Collectively what vaccines then mean is that becoming immunized, will allow us to get back to the life that we remember. If you do have a breakthrough infection after being vaccinated, one of the concerning elements of a recent study shows that you can still transmit the virus. That is why there are ongoing conversations about changing policies related to wearing masks and perhaps wearing masks indoors. People will ask me what does this mean for you because I don’t want to infect other individuals even though I may be asymptomatic for the infection because I have been vaccinated.

I don’t want to do anything that could lead to someone else becoming sick. And I don’t want to do anything that could give this virus another opportunity to evolve into something more dangerous. So, the advice is mask up indoors especially and protect others.

COVID-19 Why it Matters: Video Series Introduction with Brian Merkel https://youtu.be/M-yYPSPk30Q

Part 1: What are viruses and where did this one come from https://youtu.be/DYbiIv8ICgs

Part 2: Two main types of viruses https://youtu.be/O-OVk3rx96s

Part 3: Why is this virus serious? https://youtu.be/EDFyNN8i5G4

Part 4: Why wash hands/wear mask? https://youtu.be/FlcAvlt876Y

Part 5: I’m young! Why should I care? https://youtu.be/TDrEV_beY1U

Part 6: Can pandemics be stopped before they start? https://youtu.be/lgWnJZNYbFI

Part 7: Pandemic is not local, why wear a mask? https://youtu.be/IG3Sl3q-xH8

Part 8: Why does everyone need a flu shot this year? https://youtu.be/DGpBFj0fJkA

Part 9: What is the science behind a vaccine? https://youtu.be/eQ3FclkYaQo

Part 10: Where can I find accurate information? https://youtu.be/pLMlU5Xnkgo

Part 11: What type of mask should I wear? https://youtu.be/gCFHxQvkVYE

Part 12: Why HUGE COVID-19 spikes in Wisconsin? https://youtu.be/OuqmXvrDApY

Part 13: Fall break, protect yourself & others https://youtu.be/h21Ed_bBTE4

Part 14: Why is COVID-19 Testing so Important? https://youtu.be/Fr9VJZZrTE0

Part 15: What are COVID-19 Antibodies? https://youtu.be/J2lfJzoUEHI

Part 16: Will the vaccine protect against new COVID-19 variants? https://youtu.be/5l58jEZv3NQ

Part 17: Vaccine myths vs reality https://youtu.be/bGqLsRRbzVk

Part 18: What is long-hauler syndrome? https://youtu.be/f11b8nFpJiE

Part 19: Spring break, protect yourself against variants https://youtu.be/15ifuIosz2c

Part 20: Vaccine Side Effects https://youtu.be/7n3touy2PUY

Part 21: I’m young, why get vaccinated? https://youtu.be/F3KaBpSUpGo

Part 22: Variants and eased restrictions concern https://youtu.be/Xlt0VsxO-UA

Part 23: Delta Variant, protect yourself and others https://youtu.be/NtDJb2i_8Yg