Fully Vaccinated People can Still Spread COVID-19 at Home

Vaccine Trial in UK
A screenshot from BBC

Despite the fact that the number of COVID-19 cases has decreased significantly, everyone should continue to take all precautions and not relax their guard. Because the risk of COVID-19 spreading has remained higher than that of any other viral infection, people must be watchful and get vaccinated.

According to recent findings, COVID-19 can spread inside even when people are fully vaccinated.

Two of the most critical measures to avoid the spread of the deadly SARs-COV-2 virus are to be watchful and be vaccinated. Clinical investigations have demonstrated that all current vaccinations offer some amount of protection against the virus. However, it has been discovered that even those who have been vaccinated might get the virus and become ill.

Vaccines, on the other hand, help to prevent major sickness and complications, lowering the chance of hospitalization and death.

When a person catches a virus despite being completely vaccinated, this is known as a breakthrough infection. He or she either gets mild to moderate symptoms or remains asymptomatic. Fully vaccinated people, on the other hand, may succumb to the virus in rare situations.

Even if you are fully vaccinated, according to a study published in the journal The Lancet Infectious Diseases on Friday, you can still catch Covid and spread the deadly disease to others at home.

The majority of SARS-CoV-2 transmission occurs in households around the world. The study found that even if there are no or few symptoms, there remains a two-in-five (38%) possibility of transferring the virus to other unvaccinated housemates.

If both housemates are properly vaccinated, the risk lowers to one in four or 25%.

Prof Ajit Lalvani, National Heart and Lung Institute, Imperial College London, UK, said, “This research demonstrates that breakthrough infections in fully vaccinated patients can efficiently transfer infection in the household context.”

Between September 2020 and September 2021, 440 households in London and Bolton participated in the study, which included PCR Covid tests.

The findings show that patients can appear to be just as infectious even after two doses of Covid vaccination. In other words, while vaccinated persons resolve infections faster, their peak viral load — the point at which they are most infectious — remains identical to that of unvaccinated people, implying that they can still easily spread the virus in the home.

Covid vaccinations are efficient at preventing serious Covid disease and death, but they are less effective at transmitting infections, especially after the development of the more contagious Delta variety.

Several studies have also revealed that these vaccinations’ protection is decreasing, necessitating the use of boosters. While some countries have begun delivering vaccine boosters to immunocompromised persons, others, such as India, are still in the planning stages.

Even in vaccinated people, public health and social measures to prevent transmission, including mask-wearing, social distancing, and testing, are still crucial, according to the study.