What to expect if you get a breakthrough case of COVID-19

[marmar]

(Salon) On July 24, Kurt Suchman, a 26-year-old freelance writer living in Seattle, started to drink a seltzer that they couldn't taste.

"I tried another seltzer, and I was like, 'okay I can't really taste it,' and then I pulled out a jar of horseradish and shoved my nose in it," Suchman said. "I was like, 'I guess I can kind of smell it,' but at that point I was definitely a little freaked out."

Suchman made an appointment for a COVID-19 test the next morning, which is when they started to feel "feverish." Eventually, their test results confirmed what they expected: Suchman had COVID-19, despite being fully vaccinated in May with the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine. Suchman racked their brain trying to figure out how they got it. Suchman had not been in proximity of anyone with symptoms. Had it happened when Suchman traveled to Arkansas for a family emergency? Or perhaps at karaoke night?

....(snip)....

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), breakthrough cases were always expected to occur in small numbers, as no vaccine is 100% effective; the highest efficacy rate of any of the COVID-19 vaccines was 95% when they were originally studied in 2020 and early 2021. That number has diminished as more mutations have sprung up. Indeed, according to some studies, the three available COVID-19 vaccines are less effective in preventing infection from the delta variant due to its unique mutations.

Fortunately, all three vaccines are still very good at protecting against severe illness and death — meaning that if you do have a breakthrough infection, it will very likely be mild. .......(more)

https://www.salon.com/2021/07/29/what-to-expect-if-you-get-a-covid-19-breakthrough-case/

[niyad]

1. geez, salon, why the plural "they" about this guy?

[lagomorph777]

3. Very distracting trying to read that!

Very odd.

[WhiskeyGrinder]

5. I'm guessing those are their pronouns.

[obamanut2012]

8. Because it's proper genderless pronoun use

Totally acceptable, and also in most style guides now. It's actually been in use for a very long time.

[MissB]

9. Maybe that's their choice

The person may have indicated their choice of pronouns as “he, they” etc.

If you read it in that context you’re less likely to be thrown by the usage.

In my work world, it isn’t unusual to see signature blocks with the preferred pronouns.

[dweller]

12. Sucks to be Suchman

As opposed to Anyman

✌🏻

[greenjar_01]

13. Their best friend, Danny Such, makes things even more complicated

Like when they arrive together at a party, and people say, oh, look, there's Such and Suchman.

Never mind when Alicia This and Harvey That are with them.

[WilliamPlanke]

2. Does "natural immunity" stand up to DELTA variant?

And a second question… any breakthrough cases reported of catching the DELTA variant twice?

[lagomorph777]

4. No, and yes.

[LeftInTX]

10. I don't know what you mean by natural immunity?

If you had Covid previously, as opposed to an immunization, your immunity would probably be the same if you were vaccinated. If you never had Covid and not been vaccinated, you do not have natural immunity.

[Whiskeytide]

6. My MDs office told me yesterday that they ...

… referred 9 fully vaxxed patients for testing last week and 8 tested positive for Delta. One is hospitalized. I’m in a very hot spot.

Anecdotal, but troubling.

[LisaL]

7. Delta is producing a very high viral load, even in vaccinated who are infected.

So it can break through the vaccines more easily than alpha. All that virus overwhelms antibodies. One solution is to have a third dose of vaccine, but it has not been approved in the US as of yet (and who knows when?)

[LeftInTX]

11. Israel is starting third dose for at risk.

[LisaL]

14. I know.

Some other countries are starting to give out third doses as well.