The Greek alphabet, the precursor to all modern European alphabets, has been around for about 3000 years. Adapting the Phoenician alphabet, which consisted of only consonants, the Greeks added a few more symbols, such as “Alpha and Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End” which might sound familiar from the Bible. Α (alpha) and Ω (omega) are the first and last letters in the Greek alphabet today. You will also find Greek letters in math class, such Δ (delta) which is used in algebra to represent the change in value of a variable. π (pi) comes up often especially with circles; it is a value equal to about 3.14. In physics class, μ (mu) is used to calculate the ratio of frictional and normal forces. And, so on. Scroll to the end of this article to see the entire Greek and Phoenician alphabets.
The most recent covid-variant of concern is called the Delta variant and it is much more transmissible than the original virus and its other variants. Younger people seem more likely to get sick while the original virus had little effect before. The symptoms of the delta variant differ a little as well, more like a sore throat and runny nose. Go back and read about NWA vaccine clinics in Part 1 continue on for more about the different covid-variants and their prevalence.
Covid-Variants
The coronavirus that causes COVID-19, like all viruses, changes through mutation and the more it spreads the more chances it has to evolve. Scientists monitor changes in the virus in case there is a significant change in how easily the variant is spread, if it causes more severe symptoms, if new groups like children become more susceptible, or if it becomes harder to treat with current methods. In May 2021, the World Health Organization decided to use Greek letters to refer to several variants. There are four variants of concern, labeled in order using the first four letters of the Greek alphabet:
α Alpha/UK (B.1.1.7): First detected in the U.K. in September 2020 and detected in the U.S. in December 2020.
β Beta/South Africa (B.1.351): First detected in South Africa in October 2020 and in the U.S. at the end of January 2021.
γ Gamma/Brazil (P.1): First detected in travelers from Brazil in November 2020 and in the U.S. in January 2021.
δ Delta/India (B.1.617.2): First detected in India in December 2020 and in the U.S. in March 2021.
There are several other variants of interest that the WHO is tracking: ε Epsilon/California, ζ Zeta/Brazil, η Eta/Nigeria, θ Theta/Philippines, ι Iota/New York, κ Kappa/India, and possibly λ Lambda/Peru . This is much like saying variant A, B, C, D…and so on to L. Thus far, vaccination continues to protect people from severe illness and death for all variants.
The Bad News: Some of the worst outbreaks, fueled by the Delta variant, have been reported in Missouri and Arkansas (16 new daily cases per 100,000 people) as well as in Utah (8 new daily cases). There are more than 30 covid-patients hospitalized in NWA which is 3x that in early June. And, we can expect more throughout July. When asked last Sunday if Arkansas was headed for a third surge of COVID-19, Gov. Asa Hutchinson (R-AR) said: “We have done very well but it is our younger adults that’s now getting hit with the Delta variant, which is more contagious, has more severe consequences. We’re in a race against the Delta variant, which spreads very fast.” The solution is the vaccinations.
And the Good News: A recent public health study estimates that the rapid vaccine rollout in the U.S. has saved 279,000 lives and prevents 1.25 million hospitalizations. Though Arkansas has generally low vaccination rates, ranging from 22-44% fully vaccinated, Pulaski, Benton and Washington counties have been leading in vaccination rates in Arkansas. ArkansasCovid has been tracking cases and vaccinations by county, race, etc. More than 40% of the total population in the Fayetteville metro area has received at least one dose of a covid-vaccine. More than 30% are fully vaccinated. The vaccine prevents all serious symptoms, reduces your chance of catching the virus, and protects against all variants. And, anyone over 12 can get vaccinated.
Dr. Sheldon Riklon also stressed the importance of testing for and vaccinating against covid: “Covid-19 cases are on the rise again. Arkansas continues to see increased numbers of infections. The Arkansas Department of Health reports that about 90% of active cases are among people not fully vaccinated. And, the youth are vulnerable to the new Delta variant. Vaccination is important, now more than ever.” If you are coughing, have a sore throat, or other covid-19 symptoms, call 479.332.0222. You can call that same number or visit the link www.vaccinesignup.uams.edu/nwaclinc to make an appointment to get vaccinated. There will be vaccine clinics coming up all over NWA including in local churches.
Variant Proportions
The charts below from the CDC covid-data tracker show how different variants have spread over time in different regions. The Delta variant (dark orange) makes up the most of the covid-19 cases in Missouri and Utah, while the Alpha variant (light orange) is still the majority in Washington/Oregon. The Delta variant will likely overcome the Alpha variant in all regions soon, as it has in Arkansas.
Missouri (also Iowa) | Arkansas (also Texas/Oklahoma) |
Utah | Washington/Oregon |
Greek and Phoenician Alphabets
You can compare the Phoenician and Greek alphabets and match them to their corresponding English letters in the following table. (Archaic letters Digamma Ϝ, Koppa Ϙ, and Sampi Ϡ continue to be used in the Greek number system. Also check out Wolfram Demos – Greek Numerals.)
