No, Vaccinated People Are Not 'Just as Likely' to Spread the Coronavirus as Unvaccinated People

[douglas9]

For many fully vaccinated Americans, the Delta surge spoiled what should’ve been a glorious summer. Those who had cast their masks aside months ago were asked to dust them off. Many are still taking no chances. Some have even returned to all the same precautions they took before getting their shots, including avoiding the company of other fully vaccinated people.

Among this last group, a common refrain I’ve heard to justify their renewed vigilance is that “vaccinated people are just as likely to spread the coronavirus.”

This misunderstanding, born out of confusing statements from public-health authorities and misleading media headlines, is a shame. It is resulting in unnecessary fear among vaccinated people, all the while undermining the public’s understanding of the importance—and effectiveness—of getting vaccinated.

So let me make one thing clear: Vaccinated people are not as likely to spread the coronavirus as the unvaccinated. Even in the United States, where more than half of the population is fully vaccinated, the unvaccinated are responsible for the overwhelming majority of transmission.

https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2021/09/the-vaccinated-arent-just-as-likely-to-spread-covid/620161/?scrolla=5eb6d68b7fedc32c19ef33b4

[Beartracks]

1. This: "Every vaccinated person helps limit the virus's ability to hide, replicate, and propagate."

And if we reduce its ability to replicate and propagate, we reduce its chances to mutate, too.

============

[PSPS]

2. This is full of misinformation innuendo

For many fully vaccinated Americans, the Delta surge spoiled what should’ve been a glorious summer.
-- More accurately, the Delta surge PLUS the lingering plague of MAGA

Those who had cast their masks aside months ago were asked to dust them off. Many are still taking no chances. Some have even returned to all the same precautions they took before getting their shots, including avoiding the company of other fully vaccinated people.
-- All prudent and necessary because the militantly unvaccinated lie about their status

Among this last group, a common refrain I’ve heard to justify their renewed vigilance is that “vaccinated people are just as likely to spread the coronavirus.”
-- The author must hang around different people than I do, or they left off the rest of the quote "... if they still get infected." That would be a true statement.

This misunderstanding
-- The author is the one with the misunderstanding

born out of confusing statements from public-health authorities and misleading media headlines, is a shame.
-- and don't forget misleading articles like this one in The Atlantic

It is resulting in unnecessary fear among vaccinated people
-- "Unnecessary" merely by the author declaring it so doesn't make it a fact. Do they believe Biden is president?

all the while undermining the public’s understanding of the importance—and effectiveness—of getting vaccinated.
-- Vaccination is a must but articles like this, maybe intended to motivate such, isn't going to help

So let me make one thing clear: Vaccinated people are not as likely to spread the coronavirus as the unvaccinated.
-- That's simply not true. In fact, if a vaccinated person gets infected, they are more likely to spread the coronavirus.

Even in the United States, where more than half of the population is fully vaccinated, the unvaccinated are responsible for the overwhelming majority of transmission.
-- That seems to be true and is the only straightforward statement of fact in the entire portion posted in the OP.

[wiggs]

3. GREAT POINTS, thank you. Bottom line: vaccinated can spread the virus. nt

[PSPS]

15. More precisely, *infected* vaccinated can spread the virus. You can't spread it unless infected.

[ARandomPerson]

6. No, it isn't.

Did you actually read this article?

The author's main points are that (1) vaccinated people are less like to have coronavirus than unvaccinated and that (2) this means that vaccinated people are less likely to spread coronavirus.

That's it -- that's the whole point. No misunderstanding.

[PSPS]

8. I didn't bother to read the rest because the beginning in the OP was so misleading.

Even your summary is misleading.

"vaccinated people are less like to have coronavirus than unvaccinated"

-- That's true, but you're making the same mistake as the author with,

"this means that vaccinated people are less likely to spread coronavirus."

-- That's misleading. If a vaccinated person gets infected, they are more likely to spread coronavirus. This has been observed around the world. Such a person's viral load is enormous.

[Disaffected]

10. This simply boils down to how you interpret the somewhat ambiguous statement.

"this means that vaccinated people are less likely to spread coronavirus."

has two meanings depending on what cohort of vaccinated people the statement refers to i.e. vaccinated people as a whole or, vaccinated people who contract Covid.

So, the author did not make a mistake per se - he/she was ambiguous, nothing more nothing less. Given that "vaccinated people" was not qualified, the reasonable interpretation IMO is the former.

[PSPS]

16. "Ambiguous" guidance is the last thing The Atlantic should be publishing.

[Disaffected]

18. Certainly,

and any publication for that matter especially for such a serious topic.

[Phoenix61]

11. Your wrong.

So let me make one thing clear: Vaccinated people are not as likely to spread the coronavirus as the unvaccinated.
-- That's simply not true. In fact, if a vaccinated person gets infected, they are more likely to spread the coronavirus.

A vaccinated person is most definitely not more likely to spread the virus. While their viral load may, may be a key word, be a high as someone unvaccinated it drops within a couple of days. The unvaccinated maintain a high viral load for several weeks.

Among this last group, a common refrain I’ve heard to justify their renewed vigilance is that “vaccinated people are just as likely to spread the coronavirus.”
-- The author must hang around different people than I do, or they left off the rest of the quote "... if they still get infected." That would be a true statement.

I’m in Florida and you have no idea how many times I’ve heard that said.

It is resulting in unnecessary fear among vaccinated people
-- "Unnecessary" merely by the author declaring it so doesn't make it a fact. Do they believe Biden is president?

It is unnecessary fear. If you are vaccinated your chance of getting covid is very, very low. The emphasis on breakthrough cases makes them appear to be much more common then they really are.

[PSPS]

17. "A vaccinated person is most definitely not more likely to spread the virus"

If they are relying on their vaccinated status to stop wearing a mask and they get infected, they will certainly be spreading the virus.

[Phoenix61]

21. They are not more likely to spread the virus than an unvaccinated person

which is what you claimed.

[PSPS]

26. Yes they are if they're both infected and not wearing a mask. Vaccination status doesn't matter.

You must have missed the phrase "if they are infected" in my post.

[Phoenix61]

27. I didn't miss anything

“ That's misleading. If a vaccinated person gets infected, they are more likely to spread coronavirus. This has been observed around the world. Such a person's viral load is enormous. “
Vaccinated people do not have a higher viral load than those who are unvaccinated. What you are claiming is simply not true.

[Tomconroy]

12. The claim that vaccinated people are more likely to spread covid than unvaccinated

People is something I've never heard before. But since the claim is made by an anonymous person on the internet without reference to any authority, I certainly believe it.

[PSPS]

14. LOL. Here it is from the CDC

From: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/variants/delta-variant.html

Fully vaccinated people with Delta variant breakthrough infections can spread the virus to others. However, vaccinated people appear to spread the virus for a shorter time: For prior variants, lower amounts of viral genetic material were found in samples taken from fully vaccinated people who had breakthrough infections than from unvaccinated people with COVID-19. For people infected with the Delta variant, similar amounts of viral genetic material have been found among both unvaccinated and fully vaccinated people. However, like prior variants, the amount of viral genetic material may go down faster in fully vaccinated people when compared to unvaccinated people. This means fully vaccinated people will likely spread the virus for less time than unvaccinated people.

What makes this insidious is that, just like an unvaccinated person, the infected vaccinated person can be completely asymptomatic and be spreading the virus. So it's better to keep wearing a mask and taking the other safety measures.

[Tomconroy]

19. If you scroll way way down this summary of the latest CDC

Research to the paragraph just before 'Conclusions' it indicates there is some evidence that the vaccinated may be less likely to spread Covid than the unvaccinated but more research is needed. I read somewhere a big study on the subject is underway on the subject with results expected by the end of the year.

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/science/science-briefs/fully-vaccinated-people.html

[PSPS]

24. True, we're learning more about this every day. But it's best to keep protecting yourself for now.

[Tomconroy]

25. I agree with that.

[sanatanadharma]

4. A parable has popped into my mind

The neighborhood has a pest problem. Climate change has caused everyone's lawn and yard has become a breeding ground for nasty stinging beetles that cause problems from festering infections up to scratching to death.

Soon it comes to be understood that the stinging beetles don't survive, thrive and reproduce in short cut grass because the birds find and dine.
Neighbors begin trimming their lawns and the numbers of stinging beetles drops, but not low enough, human-beetle deaths continue.

Why? Because! Some simple neighbors claim to know more, say it louder, believe less, and do not mow.

[SheltieLover]

7. If infected, fully vaxed are every bit as likely to spread virus

for the first 6 days, per Dr. Eric Ding's twitter.

After day 6, vaxed people's viral load drops significantly, per Dr. Ding.

[Ms. Toad]

13. My understanding is 5 days - but that context is precisely what he article obscures.

[greenjar_01]

9. Cassandra Crew gonna come for you

Catastrophe R Us

[ananda]

20. Yes they are. The CDC reported on this two months ago.

Vaxxed people shed just as much virus as unvaxxed people,
even when asymptomatic or just having a mild case.

[Mr.Bill]

22. The behavior of my wife and I regarding masking, social distancing, etc.,

has not changed one bit since February 2020 except to purchase better masks as they became available. And in the meantime my wife sat at her sewing machine and made over 200 masks that accept a piece of furnace filter. The were such good masks the hospital was using them until they could get the needed supply of better masks.

Although we are both fully vaccinated we will continue to mask and social distance. I am comfortable with it and will do it for the rest of my life if I need to. I don't do it out of any more fear than when I buckle my seat belt. It's not fear it's common sense. Doing something that endangers you life and the lives of those around you is not fearlessness, it's idiocy.

[Tomconroy]

23. The CDC does an estimate quarterly of the number of

People who have been infected with Covid as opposed to the actual reported cases. That number will increase dramatically when the new report comes including the July through Sept. quarter which will cover the delta era. As of June 30 the number was over 120 million.


https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/cases-updates/burden.html

Some of those experts on the booster committees opined that the purpose of the vaccine is to prevent serious illness and death, not prevent infection.