COVID-19 delta variant vaccination produces similar viral load to unvaccinated: study
A new study from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) shows that the delta variant produced the same amount of virus in vaccinated and unvaccinated people when infected. The study, published Friday by the CDC, focused on 469 COVID-19 cases among Massachusetts residents who traveled to summer vacation destination Barnstable County from July 3 to 17, Xinhua news agency reported.
According to the study, a total of 346 cases, about 74 percent, occurred in people who were fully vaccinated.
The test identified the delta variant in 90 percent of the samples from 133 patients.
According to the study, cycle threshold values were similar in samples from patients who were fully vaccinated and those who were not.
CDC director Rochelle Valensky said the study showed that Delta infection resulted in equally high SARS-CoV-2 viral loads in vaccinated and unvaccinated people.
“The high viral loads suggest an increased risk of transmission and raise concern that, unlike other types, people infected with Delta may transmit the virus,” she said.
Valensky said the finding was concerning and an important finding for the CDC’s updated mask recommendation.
The CDC updated its masking recommendation on Tuesday, urging vaccinated Americans to resume wearing masks in public indoor spaces in schools and in Covid-19 hot spots across the country.
“The masking recommendation was updated to ensure that the vaccinated public will not inadvertently transmit the virus to others, including their unvaccinated or immunocompromised loved ones,” she said.
The CDC suggested jurisdictions consider expanded containment strategies, including universal masking in indoor public settings, particularly for large public gatherings involving travelers from multiple areas with varying levels of SARS-CoV-2 transmission.
(with IANS inputs)
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