Vaccines protect against Delta variant, but do not slow down domestic transmission

A study published in The Lancet reported that Covid-19 vaccines do reduce the risk of infection with the Delta variant, but that people vaccinated with the full regimen can transmit the virus to vacunos and unvaccinated. This is demonstrated by an analysis carried out between September 2020 and 2021 in the United Kingdom with 621 participants identified through the British tracking system as positive with mild disease or asymptomatic. Likewise, the authors recorded demographic and vaccination information of the enrollees, while they did daily PCR tests to detect Covid-19, regardless of whether they presented symptoms or not. Read more: Strengthening the immune system of older adults, a growing need This is one of the few studies developed so far that includes such a large amount of detailed household data, which offers key information to know how those vaccinated with the delta can still be infected and transmit this variant. In this context, experts identified a total of 205 household contacts of cases of the delta variant, of which 53 tested positive for covid. Of those 205 contacts, 62% (126) received two doses of a vaccine, 19% (39) had received one dose of a preparation, and another 19% (40) were not vaccinated. Among household contacts who were immunized with the full regimen, 25% (31 out of 126) were infected with the delta variant, compared to 38% (15 out of 40) of unvaccinated household contacts.” Vaccines are key to controlling the epidemic, as we know they are very effective in preventing severe illness and deaths from covid. However, our results show that vaccination alone is not enough to prevent others from becoming infected with the delta variant and prevent it from spreading in the domestic setting,” explains Ajit Lalvani, from Imperial College London and co-author of the study. They also found, he adds, that “susceptibility to infection” had already increased a few months after the second dose of the vaccine, “so those entitled to booster shots should receive them immediately.” The authors insist that, unlike the unvaccinated, those vaccinated with the full regimen present a lower — though still appreciable — risk of becoming infected with the delta variant, while “clearing the infection more quickly.” Nonetheless, the peak viral load among the vaccinated is similar to that of the unvaccinated, which could explain, they add, why those can still easily transmit the virus within the home. Read more: Did you get the dead? What it is and how to avoid sleep paralysis Inhabitants of Nepal died dragged by water, video

Original source in Spanish