Reports of vaccinated people testing positive for COVID but showing little to no symptoms are beginning to come out, which raises the question- are vaccinated people carrying around this virus and spreading it to the unvaccinated?
According to the Centers for Disease Control, “There are studies which show that people who are fully vaccinated are less likely to spread the virus.”
But Chris Simoneau from Lee Health adds that it is still possible these people are unknowingly spreading the virus.
“You are seeing some breakthrough cases where we are seeing some tests of vaccinated patients who are becoming COVID positive, their outcomes are much, much better. Their symptoms are much less, some are even asymptomatic,” Simoneau said. “It is possible that they're shedding the virus and contributing to community spread.”
Simoneau says about 95% of people currently hospitalized are unvaccinated, which makes community spread a greater and more dangerous risk. Representatives from NCH and Lee Health have reported that people in hospital now are younger and sicker than they’ve seen in the past.
“The side effects or potential side effects of the vaccines are much lower than the impacts of COVID,” Simoneau said. “We are seeing some really bad cases of COVID and some long term effects of having COVID. But we haven't seen significant side effects of the vaccines. So we're encouraging people to get the vaccine because that's the best way to keep them healthy and safe.”
To continue to protect yourself from COVID-19 and its variants, the CDC recommends that people wear masks and get vaccinated.
To schedule a vaccine appointment, click here.
