Whole genome sequencing confirmed that 71 were infected with the delta variant of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, 42 had alpha and 50 had the original strain of SARS-CoV-2. Of the 621 participants, 163 tested positive for COVID-19. In the study, carried out by the NIHR Health Protection Research Unit in Respiratory Infections at Imperial, researchers enrolled 621 participants, identified by the UK contact tracing system, between September 2020 and September 2021 – before vaccine boosters had become widely available in the UK.Īll participants had mild COVID-19 illness or were asymptomatic (showing no symptoms), and took swabs from their nose and throat each day for 14-20 days. ( Credit: NIAID / Flickr) Household COVID-19 spread This is likely to be the case for other indoor settings where people spend extended periods of time in close proximity as will occur increasingly as we head into winter.” Researchers found that fully vaccinated people cleared the infection more quickly than those who are unvaccinated, but their peak viral load – the greatest amount of SARS-CoV-2 virus found in their nose and throat – was similar to that seen in unvaccinated people, which may explain why they can still readily pass on the virus in household settings. “Our findings show that vaccination alone is not enough to prevent people from being infected with the delta variant, and from spreading it onwards, in household settings. “Vaccines are critical to controlling the pandemic, as we know they are fantastic at preventing serious illness and death from COVID-19,” said Professor Ajit Lalvani, of the National Heart & Lung Institute at Imperial College London, who co-led the study. The analysis found that around 25% of vaccinated household contacts tested positive for COVID-19 compared with roughly 38% of unvaccinated household contacts.įully vaccinated people cleared the infection more quickly than those who are unvaccinated, but their peak viral load – the greatest amount of SARS-CoV-2 virus found in their nose and throat – was similar to that seen in unvaccinated people, which may explain why they can still readily pass on the virus in household settings.Īccording to the researchers, the study is one of few to date conducted using detailed data from households and offers crucial insights into how vaccinated people can still be infected with the delta variant and pass it to others.ĭespite transmission between vaccinated people being possible, the researchers say it is essential for people who are unvaccinated, and those who are now eligible for boosters, to get vaccinated against COVID-19 to protect themselves from severe disease and hospitalisation. makes it essential for unvaccinated people to get vaccinated to protect themselves from acquiring infection and severe COVID-19. The authors stress that vaccination also reduces the risk of severe illness, hospitalisation and death from COVID-19. It finds that people who have received two doses of vaccine have a lower, but still appreciable, risk of becoming infected with the delta variant in the home compared with people who are unvaccinated. These are the findings of a study of COVID-19 transmission between household contacts, led by Imperial College London and the UK Health Security Agency (HSA) and published today in The Lancet Infectious Diseases. Fully vaccinated people can contract and pass on COVID-19 in the home, but at lower rates than unvaccinated people.
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