CDC: Vaccinated people can spread Covid-19 (Delta)

[PartySick 173,000]

The recommendation that vaccinated people in some parts of the country dust off their masks was based largely on one troublesome finding, according to Dr. Rochelle Walensky, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

New research showed that vaccinated people infected with the Delta variant carry tremendous amounts of the virus in the nose and throat, she said in an email responding to questions from The New York Times.

The finding contradicts what scientists had observed in vaccinated people infected with previous versions of the virus, who mostly seemed incapable of infecting others.

There are 67,000 new cases per day on average in the United States, as of Thursday. If vaccinated people are transmitting the Delta variant, they may be contributing to the increases — although probably to a far lesser degree than the unvaccinated.

The new data do not mean that the vaccines are ineffective. The vaccines still powerfully prevent severe illness and death, as they were meant to, and people with breakthrough infections very rarely end up in a hospital.

About 97 percent of people hospitalized with Covid-19 are unvaccinated, according to data from the C.D.C. But scientists warned even last year that the vaccines might not completely prevent infection or transmission. (Immunity from natural infection may offer even less protection.)

When people are exposed to any respiratory pathogen, it may find a foothold in the mucosal lining of the nose — without causing any harm beyond that. “If you walked down the street and swabbed people, you would find people that had viruses in their mucosa who were asymptomatic,” said Dr. Michael Marks, an epidemiologist at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. “Our immune system is mostly fighting these things off most of the time.”

But the Delta variant seems to flourish in the nose, and its abundance may explain why more people than scientists expected are experiencing breakthrough infections and cold-like symptoms.

Still, when the virus tries to snake down into the lungs, immune cells in vaccinated people ramp up and rapidly clear the infection before it wreaks much havoc. That means vaccinated people should be infected and contagious for a much shorter period of time than unvaccinated people, Dr. Lund said.

“But that doesn’t mean that in those first couple of days, when they’re infected, they can’t transmit it to somebody else,” she added.

To stop the virus right where it enters, some experts have advocated nasal spray vaccines that would prevent the invader from gaining purchase in the upper airway. “Vaccine 1.0 should prevent death and hospitalization. Vaccine 2.0 should prevent transmission,” Dr. Tal said. “We just need another iteration.”

NYT

Tl;dr - Because most anti-bodies hang out in the lungs (which prevents serious illness) but not in the throat or nose, the delta variant can still infect and affect a vaccinated person's upper respiratory system and, since it's twice as contagious, they can still infect others.

This was of particular interest to me 'cause I'm a care taker for my grandpa who's allergic to the flu and covid vaccines. I'll remain on high alert. Get your shots, people

[SharkmanthaC 115,066]

This is terrifying. Especially with delta infecting kids more and lots of school systems saying masks are optional. It doesn’t matter if your kid wears a mask if everyone else is maskless. Im so worried about what this fall will bring. 

[Nickypie101 1,591]

Had delta not showed up we would be in such great shape. It’s so depressing. 

[Mindblown 6,746]

[flyaway 15,350]

That's why it's important to get vaccinated AND wear a mask. It won't prevent you from getting infected, but it will save you a stay at the hospital and dying from covid. 

[ssslyboy 3,273]

10 minutes ago, flyaway said:

That's why it's important to get vaccinated AND wear a mask. It won't prevent you from getting infected, but it will save you a stay at the hospital and dying from covid. 

I'm confused.  Are we wearing masks just to avoid getting a positive test result?  

[flyaway 15,350]

2 minutes ago, ssslyboy said:

I'm confused.  Are we wearing masks just to avoid getting a positive test result?  

A mask will prevent you from transmitting the virus when you talk, sneeze, cough or breathe. A vaccine won't, but it will lower down your symptoms if you get infected.

The problem is that there are still too many unvaccinated people to get rid off the masks. And even if you are vaxxed, you can transmit the virus that could send the non vaccinated people to an ICU. 

[ssslyboy 3,273]

OK another question: How long do we have to protect people who refuse the vaccine until we start requiring them to protect themselves?  Vaccine has been widely available for anyone who wants it for months.  Anyone who wants one can get it.  If people are refusing at this point (#1) they will likely never get the vaccine and (#2) it's not my responsibility to protect them anymore.  I've done everything I've been asked to protect myself and others for the last year and a half.  I'm not wearing a mask for the rest of my life because some people refuse the vaccine. 

[PartySick 173,000]

12 minutes ago, ssslyboy said:

How long do we have to protect people who refuse the vaccine until we start requiring them to protect themselves? 

I couldn't care less about the people who refuse the vaccine, my concern is with the people who can't get the vaccine.

I'm interested in where this "nasal vaccine" is going to go tbh. Once we adapt to the delta variant things will turn up again.

[gypsy101 5,453]

we have always known that vaxxed people can spread it, do people pay literally no attention

[Born This Way 1,817]

Can't the government just get something like this going for the whole country with the vaccine. Chemtrails Over The Country Club's impact.

[ItWasntLaauv 6,392]

Get vaccinated you stupid f*cks!!! I’m sorry but like, it’s your own fault if you get ultra sick at this point, at least in the US and other places where there’s surplus vaccines. The tools are right there to help prevent this, but y’all aren’t taking advantage. I’m gonna have fun with my vaccinated life and do what I want, y’all anti-vaxxers and conspiracists can choke, sorry.

(This of course doesn’t apply to the small percentage of people who are legitimately allergic to vaccines or live in places where the vaccines aren’t readily available quite yet.)

[MadreMonster 2,584]

My friend who hasn’t been against the vaccine but cautious about it asked me today if she should get it… and I told her YES YES YES! I’m hoping this scare will get more people like her to get the vaccine and we can move on to life again. I want to travel and go to concerts again.

[CyanDante 6,238]

3 hours ago, gypsy101 said:

we have always known that vaxxed people can spread it, do people pay literally no attention

Exactly. This was always known. It was scary how quickly some places were told not to wear masks. 

Meanwhile in our country we are being asked we wear double masks. Even after vaccination. To prevent the spread of the virus.

Plus the entire under 18 population hasn't been vaccinated yet.  

[LastNight 5,943]

I got covid after being fully vaccinated, I'm sure it must have been the delta variant based on when I got it and how much it's spreading here in the UK, so I'm not surprised.

I'm so mad at this country for lifting restrictions and now most people are going everywhere maskless. I walked into a bar the other day (after my quarantine was over with, obviously), I had my mask on and people gave me and my friend the strangest looks. I think people think it's all over and done with now, and it isn't. They should've kept the mask mandate for indoor activity; the weeks before restrictions were lifted were fine - you could basically do anything, you just had to keep your mask on...there was literally no rush to end that.

It's also scary because now the anti-vaxxers are using people catching covid after being vaccinated as some kind of evidence that their misguided beliefs are true; it's really dangerous thinking.