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Washington: A new study from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) shows that the Delta variant produces similar amounts of the virus in both vaccinated and unvaccinated people if they are infected.
The study, released by the CDC on Friday, focused on 469 cases of Covid-19 identified among Massachusetts residents who traveled to Barnstable County, a summer vacation destination, from the 3rd to the 17th. July, the Xinhua News Agency reported.
A total of 346 cases, or about 74%, occurred in people who were fully vaccinated, according to the study.
Tests identified the Delta variant in 90 percent of samples from 133 patients.
According to the study, cycle cutoff values were similar between samples from fully vaccinated and unvaccinated patients.
The study showed that the Delta infection resulted in equally high SARS-CoV-2 viral loads in both vaccinated and unvaccinated people, CDC director Rochelle Walensky said.
“High viral loads suggest an increased risk of transmission and have raised concerns that, unlike other variants, vaccinated people infected with Delta could transmit the virus,” she said.
Walensky said the discovery was concerning and it was a crucial discovery leading to the CDC’s updated mask recommendation.
The CDC updated its masking recommendation on Tuesday, urging vaccinated Americans to resume wearing masks in schools and indoor public spaces in Covid-19 hotspots across the country.
“The masking recommendation has been updated to ensure that the vaccinated public will not unknowingly pass the virus on to others, including their unvaccinated or immunocompromised relatives,” she said.
The CDC has suggested jurisdictions consider expanded prevention strategies, including universal masking in indoor public places, especially for large public gatherings that include travelers from many areas with varying levels of SARS-CoV transmission. 2.
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