Dr. Ed discusses natural antibodies, breakthrough infections, travel, vaccine hesitancy

TYLER, Texas (KLTV) - With COVID-19 cases rising, especially from the Delta variant, some people are wondering why this variant seems to be more contagious than previous ones. Dr. Ed Dominguez joined East Texas Now today with his idea as to why this is the case.

The Delta variant of COVID-19 has proven to be more contagious and transmissible than previous versions. Dr. Ed says while he doesn’t have a sure answer, he does have a theory. “It may have to do with the way the virus interacts with a human cell. So we are around viruses pretty much every day of different kinds but many of them are very weakly attached to a human cell and until they can attach, they can’t get into the body and cause a disease, illness.” He says the strength of the binding of the virus to a human cell may have something to do with it.

Dr. Ed also said the rate of breakthrough infections, for those who have been vaccinated who become sick from COVID-19, has become more common with the Delta variant.

“The breakthrough infections were seen before, but they weren’t seen at this level, were not seen more systemically and more widely across the United States, it was just maybe one hospital would have one and maybe another one would have one, it was hit and miss before.”

Even so, Dr. Ed said most people who have breakthrough cases have become less sick than those who were unvaccinated and still recommends people to get the COVID-19 vaccine.

“If you look at all hospitalized patients in the United States who are hospitalized just with Delta not with any of the other variants, just with Delta, over 95% and some people have claimed it’s upwards of 98% are people who have not had, they are fully unvaccinated.”

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