https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.11.12.21265796v1
https://archive.md/IL3Um
Transmission potential of vaccinated and unvaccinated persons infected with the SARS-CoV-2 Delta variant in a federal prison,July to August 2021
Abstract
Background
The extent to which vaccinated persons who become infected with SARS-CoV-2 contribute to transmission is unclear. During a SARS-CoV-2 Delta variant outbreak among incarcerated persons with high vaccination rates in a federal prison, we assessed markers of viral shedding in vaccinated and unvaccinated persons.
Methods
Consenting incarcerated persons with confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection provided mid-turbinate nasal specimens daily for 10 consecutive days and reported symptom data via questionnaire. Real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), viral whole genome sequencing, and viral culture was performed on these nasal specimens. Duration of RT-PCR positivity and viral culture positivity was assessed using survival analysis.
Results
A total of 978 specimens were provided by 95 participants, of whom 78 (82%) were fully vaccinated and 17 (18%) were not fully vaccinated.No significant differences were detected in duration of RT-PCR positivity among fully vaccinated participants (median: 13 days) versus those not fully vaccinated (median: 13 days; p=0.50), or in duration of culture positivity (medians: 5 days and 5 days; p=0.29).Among fully vaccinated participants, overall duration of culture positivity was shorter among Moderna vaccine recipients versus Pfizer (p=0.048) or Janssen (p=0.003) vaccine recipients.
Conclusions As this field continues to develop,clinicians and public health practitioners should consider vaccinated persons who become infected with SARS-CoV-2 to be no less infectious than unvaccinated persons.These findings are critically important, especially in congregate settings where viral transmission can lead to large outbreaks
"No statistically significant difference was detected in the duration of viral culture positivity (Figure 4) between participants who were fully vaccinated (median: 5 days) compared with those who were not fully vaccinated (median: 5 days; p=0.29)."
So 95 participants, among them 17 not "vaccinated"/partially "vaccinated", there was no significant difference in regards of RT-PCR between "Fully Vaccinated" nor "Unvaccinated" (15 participants) or "Partially Vaccinated" (2 participants).
But of these persons only 2 (one "Fully Vaccinated", one "Unvaccinated", this is only 2%!) were hospitalized and none of them has died, despite being imprisoned i.e. in extremely confined spaces inside buildings.
And the most frequently reported symptom was a "runny nose".
7% of the participants were also severely obese, 33% were overweight.