(WBBM NEWSRADIO) — An intensive care specialist is talking about the importance of getting vaccinated against COVID-19, after the president of the College of DuPage had a breakthrough infection.
COD President Brian Caputo was fully vaccinated when he tested positive last week for COVID-19. He credits the vaccine for keeping his symptoms mild and short.
Dr. Marc Sala works in intensive care at Northwestern Medicine. He said it's clear being vaccinated can affect the severity of symptoms in the event of a breakthrough case.
“It’s really the pattern that we’re seeing. People who are making it to higher levels of intensive care and hospitalization — as people are saying, (it’s) a pandemic of the unvaccinated at this point. That’s very much what we’re seeing at the ground level.”
Caputo is working from home while in quarantine, and the college's human resources department is contacting anyone who might have been in contact with him.
Staff and students at colleges and universities in Illinois are required by the state to have at least one dose of coronavirus vaccine by Sept. 19 or undergo weekly COVID-19 testing.