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The Delta variant has proven to be one of the most difficult obstacles encountered during the COVID-19 pandemic. The highly contagious strain has spread rapidly among the unvaccinated and has also shown that it can still infect some people who have received both of their vaccines. Now a new study published in the journal Lancet Infectious Diseases shed new light on the variant, including some common symptoms that people with vaccines should be aware of that could be signs that you’ve actually caught Delta.
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The very large study analyzed data collected using the Zoe COVID Study app between December 8 and July 4, which included 1,240,009 users who had received at least one dose of the vaccine and 971,504 who reported be fully vaccinated. The researchers found that while “vaccination was associated with lower symptom reporting for almost all symptoms in all age groups,” a small percentage of fully vaccinated respondents reported symptomatic infection. Of the 906 patients included in this group, 39% reported sneezing as a symptom, 41.6% headache, 43% runny nose, 43.7% fatigue, and 61.9% fever.
Despite the small segment of respondents showing signs of illness, the study added to growing evidence that vaccines are very effective against outbreaks of illness. Only 0.5% of partially vaccinated patients and 0.2% of fully vaccinated patients in the study tested positive for COVID, also finding that breakthrough infections were twice as likely to be asymptomatic in those who were fully vaccinated . Additionally, those who received both injections were also half as likely to develop persistent symptoms known as COVID long after such infections.
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Researchers have also found a link between certain age groups and the likelihood of major infections. The results showed that frail elderly people aged 60 and over were about twice as likely to contract the virus after receiving a dose than healthy adults. According to Claire Steves, MD, principal investigator of the study, these results justify the call for additional injections to be administered in certain vulnerable parts of the population.
“When it comes to the long COVID burden, it’s good news that our research has found that having a double vaccination dramatically reduces your risk of both catching the virus and, if you do, of developing long-standing symptoms, ”she said in a statement. . “However, among our frail elderly and those living in disadvantaged areas, the risk is still significant, and they should be given urgent priority for second vaccinations and boosters.”
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The study authors noted some limitations of the study, including the long period of data which saw an overlap in time between when the Alpha variant was overtaken by the Delta variant as the dominant strain in the UK. All cases are also self-reported to the app, which means some symptom readings could be inaccurate. But they also noted the major implications their findings could have on the importance of getting a full vaccine.
“Vaccinations massively reduce the chances of people catching a long COVID in two ways”, Tim spector, MB, professor of genetics at King’s College London and principal investigator of the ZOE COVID study, said in a statement. “First, by reducing the risk of symptoms by eight to ten times, and then halving the chances of an infection turning into COVID long, if that happens. No matter how long the symptoms last, we see that infections after two vaccinations are also much milder, so vaccines really change the disease and for the better. We encourage people to get their second shot as soon as they can. “
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