Reports of 'Breakthrough' COVID Cases After Vaccine

[Northerner]

A small number of people have tested positive for COVID-19 more than two weeks after being fully vaccinated, which is also known as a "breakthrough" case.

The two-week mark is important because the body needs enough time to develop immunity, according to Prevention. So far, those with breakthrough cases have reported mild or no symptoms.

Earlier this week, the Minnesota Department of Health announced that it was investigating several of these cases across the state. The department issued an advisory that asked hospitals, clinics, urgent care centers and emergency departments to report any cases where people test positive for COVID-19 at least 14 days after completing their second vaccine dose.

"These vaccines that we're using are fabulous but they're not perfect," William Schaffner, MD, an infectious disease specialist at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, told Prevention.

"At best, they're 95% effective in preventing serious illness, but minor illnesses can occur," he said.

Reports of 'Breakthrough' COVID Cases After Vaccine

A small number of people have tested positive for COVID-19 more than 2 weeks after being fully vaccinated, which is also known as a 'breakthrough' case.

www.medscape.com

Exactly two weeks since I had my job! 😱 🙂

 

[mikeyB]

That's because of the pitiful cooperation in the US with social distancing and mask wearing, and paying no attention to the fact that it takes 2-3 weeks to reach a decent level of efficacy. I suppose the same will happen in this country.

 

[Bruce Stephens]

I suppose the same will happen in this country.

Apart from anything else, as the story says the vaccines are amazing but they're not perfect. If they reduce infections enough that they're unusual enough to get panicky news reports that'll be wonderful.

 

[Amity Island]

A small number of people have tested positive for COVID-19 more than two weeks after being fully vaccinated, which is also known as a "breakthrough" case.

The two-week mark is important because the body needs enough time to develop immunity, according to Prevention. So far, those with breakthrough cases have reported mild or no symptoms.

Earlier this week, the Minnesota Department of Health announced that it was investigating several of these cases across the state. The department issued an advisory that asked hospitals, clinics, urgent care centers and emergency departments to report any cases where people test positive for COVID-19 at least 14 days after completing their second vaccine dose.

"These vaccines that we're using are fabulous but they're not perfect," William Schaffner, MD, an infectious disease specialist at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, told Prevention.

"At best, they're 95% effective in preventing serious illness, but minor illnesses can occur," he said.

Reports of 'Breakthrough' COVID Cases After Vaccine

A small number of people have tested positive for COVID-19 more than 2 weeks after being fully vaccinated, which is also known as a 'breakthrough' case.

www.medscape.com

Exactly two weeks since I had my job! 😱 🙂

This story must have the best pandemic quote of the year! It's the most sensible thing I've read.

"Although researchers expect that some breakthrough cases may occur, they’re primarily focused on whether patients develop symptoms."

Only now has someone decided they should be focusing on people who actually have symptoms rather than just "testing positive". Testing "positive" has been the driving force behind the whole pandemic and the lockdowns. It should have been based not on "cases" or "positive tests" but on people who are getting ill from the virus.

It's like testing cars for breaks, when they should be testing if the breaks are actually working.

And still to this day, they are still refering to positive tests and not those sick with covid19, be that in hosptial or elsewhere.

 

[nonethewiser]

"At best, they're 95% effective in preventing serious illness, but minor illnesses can occur," he said.

Good enough for me Northie.

Be 2 weeks Friday since had first jab, hoping 2nd jab is symptom free as felt off next day with 1st.

 

[Northerner]

Apart from anything else, as the story says the vaccines are amazing but they're not perfect. If they reduce infections enough that they're unusual enough to get panicky news reports that'll be wonderful.

The main takeaway I get from the story is yes, the vaccines aren't perfect, but if you do get infected the symptoms will most likely be mild or non-existent 🙂

 

[Northerner]

Only now has someone decided they should be focusing on people who actually have symptoms rather than just "testing positive". Testing "positive" has been the driving force behind the whole pandemic and the lockdowns. It should have been based not on "cases" or "positive tests" but on people who are getting ill from the virus.

Well, no - those figures are being gathered also, but it's important to know the number of positive infections in order to gauge the extent of the spread of the virus, hotspots, T&T&I etc.

 

[Amity Island]

Well, no - those figures are being gathered also, but it's important to know the number of positive infections in order to gauge the extent of the spread of the virus, hotspots, T&T&I etc.

Hi @Northerner
Once all those most at risk (very elderly) / likely to require hospital care are protected by vaccinations, will the government still continue to test the population? Will everyone still need to wear masks, social distance etc? If so, for what purpose? Will schools still be closed and pupils sent home?

 

[Robin]

I think the relaxing of the rules will continue to be slow and careful. At any stage, we need to see the effect of one step before taking another. A bit like managing blood sugars, really. If you tweak your bolus carb ratio, basal and diet all at the same time, and you start getting weird readings, you have to go right back to square one to try and work out which of the changes you made has the bad effect. If you’d just tweaked one at a time, you can go back one step, and not lose the benefit of other changes that have worked.
Also the last thing anybody wants is for cases to start rising again. As I understand it, more cases means it’s more probable that you’d get another mutation, which next time might evade the vaccines completely. We just don’t know how likely that is, because we are in uncharted territory.

 

[Bruce Stephens]

Also the last thing anybody wants is for cases to start rising again. As I understand it, more cases means it’s more probable that you’d get another mutation, which next time might evade the vaccines completely. We just don’t know how likely that is, because we are in uncharted territory.

I've seen speculation that we might be OK with variants. The argument is that we've seen these very similar variants evolving independently, so maybe these are the worst variants which we're likely to see (that is, maybe these are the best variants possible for the virus).

 

[Northerner]

Hi @Northerner
Once all those most at risk (very elderly) / likely to require hospital care are protected by vaccinations, will the government still continue to test the population? Will everyone still need to wear masks, social distance etc? If so, for what purpose? Will schools still be closed and pupils sent home?

It's been said many times by the scientists that allowing te vaccine to spread uncontrolled simply because the most vulnerable have been vaccinated may lead to a greater chance of mutations occurring that might evade the vaccines. We don't yet know how long the protection from vaccines may last for either. Transmission therefore needs to be brought low, and kept low so an effective T&T&I system can work.