(KNX Newsradio) — A new report has found that the average American vaccinated against COVID-19 has a one in 5,000 chance of catching the delta variant.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported in July that vaccinated people with the delta variant carried roughly the same viral load in their noses and throats as unvaccinated people.
This gave the impression that those vaccinated could still be vulnerable to getting infected and, in turn, infecting others.
However, data received in recent weeks suggests the opposite, making the threat less alarming than what doctors first believed. Even with high viral loads being present in the vaccinated, the report found that the virus acts differently compared to when it is present in the unvaccinated.
While the delta variant still carries increased transmissibility, raising the risk of getting COVID-19 for everyone, those vaccinated still have a lower chance of catching the virus, The New York Times reported.
Related
Now, the report of high viral loads in vaccinated people is not as worrisome as it was first thought to be. The report found that per day, 1 in 5,000 vaccinated people have a chance of catching the Delta variant, and for those who take precautions, the estimate is even higher.
The estimate in the report from the Times is based on statistics from Utah, Virginia, and King County, Washington. All three showed consistent reports that about one in 5,000 vaccinated Americans tested positive for COVID-19 each day in recent weeks.
While chances are higher in the places with the worst COVID-19 outbreaks — mainly southern states at the moment — in areas where cases are lower, like the Northeast, the numbers are even better, some reporting one in 10,000.
It is important to note that the report does not include undiagnosed cases, which the Times said are often mild and unrecognized.
Related
"There's been a lot of miscommunication about what the risks really are to vaccinated people, and how vaccinated people should be thinking about their lives," Dr. Ashish Jha of Brown University told the Times.
The report goes on to say that if the entire country received shots at the same rate as the Northeast or California, then the current delta wave would not be as big as it is.
Even still, unvaccinated Americans are leading in new COVID-19 cases and deaths. As of Sept. 8, the U.S. has 53.8% of its population fully vaccinated.