Mask Hysteria: The Delta Variant and Vaccine Hesitancy in the US

The Delta variant is a new strain of the SARS-COV-2 virus that has come to infamy through it spread in India, and now the world at large. The Delta variant, along with vaccine hesitancy, has been preventing a return to normalcy in places around the world.

 

 

In this episode of Mask Hysteria, host Andrew Xu is joined by Umair Irfan, a science reporter who covers the pandemic extensively at Vox. They talk about what the Delta variant means for the US, a country where vaccine hesitancy has become heavily politicized. They also chat about herd immunity, and the degree to which formal FDA approval of Pfizer and Moderna vaccines would actually increase vaccination rates.

 

 

This series aims to educate the audience on the latest updates surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as the social, economic, and public health ramifications of disease outbreaks.

 

References

 

"COVID-19 cases fueled by delta variant continue to rise" from ABC News

 

"How the delta variant is altering the course of the pandemic" by Umair Irfan, Vox

 

"Panic! At the Delta" from Today, Explained

 

"Let's get more people vaccinated" by Matt Yglesias, Slow Boring