By Pamela Cruz. Peninsula 360 Press [P360] .

Many might think that getting vaccinated against COVID-19 is for the weak or those who have no faith, however, far from doing it for yourself, making the decision to roll up your sleeve and accept a jab is an act of compassion, empathy, and yes...love.

Elvira Colín, a Mexican immigrant, lives in Chicago. As soon as the SARS-CoV-2 vaccines began to be introduced in the country, she knew she had a chance to move away from being one more of the thousands of deaths that were being counted daily at the beginning of the year.

The need for immunization was mentioned all the time on television. Mass vaccination centers provided inoculation 24 hours a day. Everything was going well, however, negative rumors began to spread "like wildfire", yes, just like the explosive material that causes deaths.

The rumors ranged from the most absurd to the most scandalous. "It's not a vaccine, it's a chip with which they want to control us", "It's a poison, the richest want to keep the few resources that are left and want to get rid of the poorest", Elvira read on Facebook and messaging platforms like Whatsapp.

At 68 years old, Elvira didn't know what to believe, the messages were forwarded by her friends, family and acquaintances, people she trusted. Facebook was full of "horror" stories about how people were dying because of vaccines, and these accounts were backed up by "scientists. The hesitation to get vaccinated grew for Elvira. 

The vaccination was progressing. Elvira decided not to get vaccinated, but a phone call made her hesitate.

Her only daughter and grandson live in Mexico, usually visiting her once or twice a year, as the economy allows. However, for two years, due to the pandemic, they were unable to see her, which filled her with sadness.

"I had already told my daughter that I did not want to get vaccinated because I had many doubts and feared that something would happen to me with the vaccine, I read and heard so many things that I decided not to do it. I told my daughter in a phone call my decision and she told me emphatically that I would not come, because I would not have it on my conscience that she could infect me and, in one of those, kill me," she told P360P.

My love was greater than my fear

"I felt so bad. We cried and he explained all his reasons. I hesitated again and I spent the whole night thinking about what I could do and the truth is, I didn't think about it anymore, I said: I'm getting vaccinated. I love them so much that I couldn't do that to them and do that to me, my love was bigger than my fears and the next day I made my appointment. A week later I had my first vaccination and 15 days later the next one. I didn't have a single symptom, no pain or anything.

For Elvira, the decision was worth it. For one thing, she was relieved that she was protected against a virus that is killing millions around the world, but the main reason is that her daughter and grandson visited her at two months old. They, too, were vaccinated.

Vaccination is for chingones

"No one should doubt. The vaccine is useful, it helps and allows you to move forward. Getting vaccinated is for chingones. That's all there is. There is everything to do it, they even give it to you at the pharmacy, they gave it to my daughter and my grandson there. They don't even ask you where you're from. You tell them you want the vaccine, you fill out a form and that's it, they don't charge you or anything," Elvira said.

As Elvira told us her story and sipped her coffee, she sighed and said, "It's going to be okay if we all do our part.

Currently, the U.S. has administered 334 million 942,236 doses of one of the vaccines used in this country - Pfzier-BioNTech, Moderna, Johnson & Johnson. 184 million 543,821 people have at least one dose, while 159 million 675,163 are fully vaccinated. 

However, there are millions who are still unwilling or unwilling to be vaccinated, which has led to a possible herd immunity is increasingly distant and the different variants of the virus advance, such is the case of Delta, a strain that seems to spread more easily and quickly than others, which can lead to more cases of COVID-19. 

An increase in the number of cases will put more pressure on healthcare resources, lead to more hospitalisations and potentially more deaths.

Protect yourself from COVID-19

COVID-19 continues to spread in the U.S. and variants are circulating. In response, take steps to protect yourself from the virus.

• Get a COVID-19 vaccine when it becomes available to you.
• Wear a mask that covers your nose and mouth to help protect yourself and others.
• Stay 6 feet away from other people who do not live with you.
• Avoid crowds and poorly ventilated indoor spaces.
• Wash your hands often with soap and water. Use hand sanitizer.

*Its presence jumped from 5.8 percent on May 21 to 42.9 percent on June 21. 

By Pamela Cruz. Peninsula 360 Press [P360P]

The Delta variant of the SARS-CoV-2 virus has become the dominant strain in California. Last week, 634 cases were detected in the state, while the total as of Thursday was 1,85, a 71 percent increase in just a few days.

However, the numbers could be much higher since only a fraction of COVID-19 tests are genomically sequenced, a process that determines whether positive cases belong to any variant.

"I can assure you that they are going to be higher," the governor said Thursday. Gavin Newsom when questioned about the updated figures for the Delta variant.

Genomic sequence testing determined that of the variants identified as Delta shot up from 5.8 percent on May 21 to 42.9 percent on June 21. 

The next closest variant on the list is Alpha, formerly the "UK variant," which is associated with approximately 50 percent more transmission and probably a higher severity of disease and risk of death. 

This variant, although it decreased, remains high, going from 57.6 percent on May 21 to 30.6 percent on June 21. 

It should be noted that the state publishes variant percentages once a month, so in the weeks after June 21 it is likely that the Delta strain will have increased.

As of July 9, California had 3,724,833 confirmed cases of COVID-19, resulting in 63,376 deaths.

This Thursday, 2,411 positive cases were registered in the state, which represented an increase of 3.3 new cases per 100,000; while 59 deaths were counted.

The number of tests on the same day was 121,341, with a positivity rate of 2.3 percent, a marginal increase of 0.2 percent compared to Wednesday.

In terms of vaccination, the state has administered 42 million 280,518 doses. 20 million 417,009 people over the age of 12 have been fully vaccinated (60.2 percent), while 3 million 186,612 (9.4 percent) are partially immunized.

The average daily number of vaccine doses administered is 59,737.

Race against time... and variants

While efforts have been made to get all those eligible to be vaccinated - 12 years of age and older - the numbers remain very low in several counties across the state, a situation that is not conducive to achieving herd immunity in the short term.

San Mateo County is not doing poorly in its immunization numbers, however the most vulnerable still need to be reached.

Thus, the county has administered 1,59,333,000 doses, resulting in 581,531,53 residents being immunized as of July 8, of which 515,394 are fully vaccinated, or 88.7 percent of the population eligible for inoculation.

It should be noted that if progress is not made soon in other counties where vaccination is still very low, there is a danger that the Delta variant could be the tipping point for a return to serious risk status and a need to return to closures and face protection at all times.

The great risk

A new data analysis identifies groups of unvaccinated people, mostly in the South, vulnerable to surges in COVID-19 cases that could become breeding grounds for even deadlier variants, CNN said.

Thus, the analysis by Georgetown University researchers identified 30 clusters of counties with low vaccination rates and significant population sizes. 

The five largest clusters are found primarily in eight states: eastern Georgia to western Texas, and northern to southern Missouri. They are also in parts of Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, and Tennessee, and consist mainly of smaller counties, but also cities such as Montgomery, Alabama; Shreveport, Louisiana; and Amarillo, Texas.

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