Vaccinated people clear COVID faster and in less time at high viral levels

Similar peak viral load

Research in the medical journal The Lancet Tracked 602 major close contacts of 471 people with COVID. We recorded the infection and viral load within the group.

There was no difference peak Viral load between vaccinated and unvaccinated individuals. In addition, only a slight reduction in the number of household members infected between vaccinated and unvaccinated individuals suggests a similar level of infectivity.

another Unpublished preprintHas not yet been reviewed by other scientists, but suggests that there is a similar trend in viral load between vaccinated and unvaccinated individuals. CDC report Analysis of outbreak data from Massachusetts in the United States from July.

Massachusetts data comes from a number of large public events over a two-week period in July in Barnstable County, Massachusetts. Of the 469 COVID cases, 346 (74%) occurred in fully vaccinated people. Viral load was similar in both the vaccinated and non-vaccinated groups.

But we You should not be too afraid of this analysis.. The data reported are incomplete representations of the population and the measurements they used (single swab and PCR test) do not provide information about the overall viral load over time.

What is the viral load?

Viral load refers to the amount of virus present in someone’s body fluid at a particular point in time. Scientists can measure this with your blood, or more commonly with COVID, by looking at your nose and throat swabs.

It is generally believed that higher viral load corresponds to more. Infectious individual..

However, this is not always clear in practice. For example, some people with COVID who are asymptomatic and have low viral load may cause more infections because they are less likely to stay at home, follow social distances, and wear masks.

There is mixed evidence of how viral load is associated with the severity of the disease.In some studies, the amount of virus contained in the swab and Bad results, But others Increased mortality with increased viral load..

Vaccinated people get rid of the virus faster

The results of the Lancet study suggest similarities in viral load between vaccinated and unvaccinated people. However, this study does not provide strong evidence that vaccines are ineffective in preventing outbreaks.

While peak Loads may be similar, vaccinated people may have Overall low viral load, therefore Reduce infectivity..

Given that the vaccine accelerates the removal of COVID from the body, vaccinated people have less chance of spreading the entire virus.

This seems to be true even if it is more infectious Delta variant..

The Lancet study specifically collected to compare vaccinated and unvaccinated infections, but this is not a true representation of the Australian community.We know that we are fully vaccinated Reduces the chance of getting infected with COVID Even if the vaccines aren’t perfect (none of them are perfect) and there is a breakthrough infection.

Although it is difficult to accurately estimate the rate of breakthrough infections, studies have shown that 0.2% NS 4% of people.. In fact, this means that for every 100 vaccinated people, 0.2-4 people will be infected with COVID.

Therefore, in rare cases of breakthrough infections, similar viral load, and perhaps similar infectivity, may be present, Much fewer people have been vaccinated to obtain COVID..

Importantly, the Lancet study also showed similar domestic infection rates between vaccinated and non-vaccinated, but there are many other studies in various situations showing a reduction in infection. Through vaccinated people..

So what does that mean for us?

If you are one of the few unlucky vaccinated people with a breakthrough infection, that means you have to follow the health advice given to you.

Even if you don’t feel sick, you have the ability to spread the virus to vulnerable people around you. However, if the people in your home are also fully vaccinated, the risk of infection is even lower.

However, vaccinated people are less likely to be initially infected with COVID, are less contagious, and are less contagious, resulting in significantly less spread of the virus through highly vaccinated communities. increase.

This is combined with the well-known ability of vaccines to keep people out Hospital and ICUIn the near future, make them the most important part of the health response.

As vaccines continue to roll out and fewer unprotected people, lower breakthrough infection rates help ensure a future in which COVID will no longer dominate news, society, and our hearts.

About the author

Jack Fehan, Research Officer – Immunology and Translational Research, University of Victoria.. PhD in gerontology, immunology and regenerative medicine. Principal Investigator of the Immunology and Translational Research Group within the Health and Disease Mechanisms and Intervention Program at the Institute of Health and Sports, University of Victoria. We are currently researching alternative vaccine strategies for both infectious diseases, substance use disorders, and autoimmune status.

Vasso Apostolopoulos, Professor and Associate Professor of Immunology, Research Partnership, University of Victoria.. Over 25 years of research experience in the field of vaccines and drugs for cancer and chronic diseases with a focus on translation. In addition, a wide range of clinical research backgrounds, transforming research into clinical trials. Expertise in interdisciplinary research in the fields of immunology, crystallography, medicinal chemistry, biochemistry, crystallography, clinical research, and drug development. The main focus is to treat the disease with an immunological focus. Research areas include cancer, type 1 diabetes, type 2 diabetes, multiple sclerosis, mental health, drug addiction, and infections including the recent SARS-CoV-2 virus that causes COVID-19. Using COVID-19, we are trying to understand the progression of the disease, how the immune system responds to the disease, and developing ways to overcome the disease.

This article is courtesy of conversation..