What is a Covid-19 Breakthrough Infection? All Your Questions Answered | FAQs

Although vaccines against Covid-19 have been found to be increasingly effective, they do not offer 100 per cent protection. Across the world, numerous breakthrough cases have been detected fuelling fears that the coronavirus might be here to stay.

A breakthrough infection is when a person develops Covid-19 after two weeks of being vaccinated. In all likelihood, such infections are likely to be mild, but they too, like any other infection, can manifest after-effects.

In India, the Delta variant is driving a surge in breakthrough cases. According to INSACOG, a genome sequencing government consortium of laboratories, the continuing Covid-19 outbreaks across India are attributable to the Delta variant, a susceptible population and reduced vaccine effectiveness in blocking transmission. However, vaccination continues to be very effective in reducing severe disease and death, and public health measures to reduce transmission and inoculation remain critical, the INSACOG stressed. The Delta variant is currently driving the pandemic across several countries with China and Korea seeing new highs. Korea has reported that the new surge is due to Delta plus K417N mutation.

What are breakthrough Covid cases?

It’s when a fully vaccinated person gets infected with the coronavirus.

What are the symptoms?

Vaccines help reduce the likelihood of severe illness. Those vaccinated are much more likely to have mild symptoms compared to if they were not vaccinated. Since the symptoms in the vaccinated are much milder than the unvaccinated, one must be on the lookout for: fever, chills, cough, fatigue, muscle or body aches, headache, sore throat, runny nose, nausea, diarrhoea and loss of taste or smell. And most importantly, if something doesn’t feel quite right to you, get tested.

Are vaccines not effective?

Vaccines are very good at protecting us from the virus, but it’s still possible to get infected with mild or no symptoms, or even to get very sick. If you do end up getting sick despite vaccination, experts say the shots help reduce the severity of the illness – the main reason to get vaccinated.

Can vaccinated people who are infected spread the virus to others?

Previously, health officials believed vaccinated people who get breakthrough infections were unlikely to spread the virus. But with the more contagious Delta variant that is now dominant, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said new data shows people who get infected could carry enough virus in their noses and throats to spread it to others.

The agency recently cited the data in updating its guidance to say vaccinated people should go back to wearing masks indoors in areas where the virus is surging.

ASLO READ | Fully Vaccinated and Not Sure If You Should Still Wear Masks? All Your FAQs Answered

Should one isolate if they get a breakthrough infection?

Yes, definitely. CNN Medical Analyst Dr Leana Wen says people must follow strict isolation protocols because it is possible they are contagious and can infect others. If that person is symptomatic, they should isolate for at least 10 days counting from the first day they started having symptoms, according to the CDC. They can end the isolation as long as they haven’t had a fever for more than 24 hours and other symptoms are improving. If the person is not symptomatic but still had a positive test, they should stay isolated for 10 days following their positive test.

If someone in the house gets a breakthrough infection, should everyone get tested?

Yes. All close contacts should be tested, experts recommend.

Do booster shots help?

The US Food and Drug Administration and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has recommended that people who are moderately to severely immunocompromised receive a third dose of the Covid-19 vaccine. One reason for this recommendation is high hospitalisation rates among immunocompromised people who are vaccinated. As of July 2021, nearly half of the vaccinated people hospitalized with breakthrough Covid-19 infections were immunocompromised despite making up only 2.7% of the US adult population. In comparison, the rate of breakthrough cases among vaccinated people who are not immunocompromised was less than 1%.

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