The quest to grasp and control the COVID-19 pandemic takes, yet another, disheartening turn with a new study released by the US CDC (Centre for Disease Control and Prevention) on Friday, 30 July, that suggests that cases of breakthrough infections in vaccinated people may have just as much of a hand in the rapid spread of the virus as unvaccinated people.
The report that studies the spread of COVID-19 in Massachusetts since July, concluded that infection from the Delta variant resulted in a similar SARS CoV-2 viral load in vaccinated as in unvaccinated people.
"469 COVID-19 cases were identified among Massachusetts residents who had traveled to the town during July 3–17; 346 (74 percent) occurred in fully vaccinated persons."The CDC Report
The study's data coincides with CDC's new mask policy that recommends even vaccinated people wear masks in indoor public places in high transmission areas.
About the Study
The researchers at CDC investigated 469 cases of COVID-19 in Barnestable county, Massachusetts, where a number of public events since July had driven up the COVID caseload.
According to the study, 69 percent of the residents of this area were fully vaccinated.
74 percent (346) of the cases were among fully vaccinated people.
79 percent (274) of vaccinated people who contracted the virus showed symptoms.
Of all the COVID cases, 5 were hospitalised, 4 were fully vaccinated.
No deaths were reported.
Genomic sequencing of 133 patients also found that 90 percent of the cases were from the Delta variant.
The 'pivotal discovery' of the study was the viral load in 127 fully vaccinated people who got infected was pretty much the same as the viral load in the unvaccinated or partially vaccinated people.
"High viral loads suggest an increased risk of transmission and raised concern that, unlike with other variants, vaccinated people infected with Delta can transmit the virus."Rochelle P. Walensky, Director, CDC
"This finding is concerning and was a pivotal discovery leading to CDC’s updated mask recommendation," he added in the statement released on Friday.
‘The War Has Changed'
This study published by the US CDC comes quick on the heels of another leaked inside document from the CDC which points to the challenging situation posed by the rapid spread of the Delta variant.
The CDC in the documents compared the transmission of COVID-19 to that of chickenpox and argued that 'the war has changed'.
The leaked document went on to say that the Delta variant is more infectious than any other covid-19 variant as well as other highly contagious infections like small pox and Ebola.
It also states that one infected person could easily spread the virus to 8 to 9 people.
It called for caution as although the vaccines are still efficient in preventing severe illness, the new data suggests that it may be considerably less affective in preventing infection and transmission of the Delta variant.
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