Yes, Another General Exposure Campus Advisory

The incessant and frequent General Exposure Advisory notices for COVID-19 loom over the heads of many students at Pacific. So much so, that some students have even taken to satire as a means to cope with the alerts placed in their emails. Some even go so far as to make the notice a “highlight” on social media to demonstrate the almost comedic high volume of COVID-19 alert emails.
With the concern of the aforementioned notices, there is also heightened awareness over the Delta variant of COVID-19: a variant that has empirically shown to have higher transmissibility. Microbiology Professor Douglas Risser notes the reasoning behind the new trend in transmissible rates, by saying that the “spike proteins in the new mutant strains have changed in ways that facilitate better binding to our receptors.”

“The proteins [from the mutant strains] can bind to us more tightly allowing them to replicate to higher levels in our body, ending up with more viral particles, which makes it easier to spread,” says Risser. 

Undoubtedly, the research that has been done on the biological mechanisms of the variant is a clear indication of why San Joaquin County has a centralized indoor mask recommendation.

In a statement made by San Joaquin County Public Health Services, the first reporting of a Delta variant case in San Joaquin County was in May 2021. Subsequently, it has been advised that “with [the] highly transmissible Delta variant spreading quickly, fully vaccinated people are strongly encouraged to take the extra precaution of wearing a mask indoors.”

Such encouragement is necessary given the predisposition for the Delta Variant to cause comparably greater severity in cases than the alpha COVID-19 variant. A cohort study done by The Lancet Infectious Diseases journal found higher hospital and emergency care attendance in cases reported from the delta variant. 

The unique feat of the delta variant to cause what seem to be more severe symptoms is concerning when taking into account the wide number of unvaccinated individuals. Risser notes that while the FDA approved vaccines aren’t perfect, “all studies are clear that all of the FDA approved vaccines provide strong protection against even the delta variant.” All the more reason to get vaccinated.

As of September 23rd, 2021, the Stockton University of the Pacific Campus has 88.99% fully vaccinated individuals in totality (including students, faculty, and staff).