So I'm not saying the death rate will increase. I'm...

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    So I'm not saying the death rate will increase. I'm saying the number of deaths will increase, and that preliminary data, actual published data, shows that delta may be more deadly.

    And you're right, often viruses mutate to be less deadly, because the strains that kill people quick and fast (think, Ebola virus) don't allow for as much transmission as one that lies dormant, only makes someone mildly sick, so they transmit to many other people.

    Similar to natural selection, right?

    Problem with covid is it may not be that simple. As covid tends to make people a bit sick for the first 8-10 days, they still go around spreading it. It's only after this period people either start getting better or they get incredibly sick.

    So the virus mutating to a more benign one isn't a sure thing. It could also merely mutate to be more transmissible during those initial 8-10 days of spreading, then what happens after that isn't as important. And that's what the delta strain has done, and why it's the dominant strain.

    Not because it's less deadly, but it's more virulent.

    I hope you're right about this being over by September. But I don't think it will be at the rate things are going (200/day is the new norm).

    This level of lockdown doesn't seem to be enough to stop cases from growing.

    I hope you're right, about everything you said. I don't think you are though.

    I'm just glad I'm vaccinated. And I hope you'll get vaccinated too.
    Last edited by DocMcstuffins: 03/08/21
 
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