As the Delta variant continues to cause problems across the country, there are a lot of questions to be asked. Is it more contagious? Is it less or more severe? If I’m vaccinated, can I get COVID? Do I need a booster shoot?
I got the chance to catch up with a former professor of mine, Dr. Jodie Guest. Dr. Guest is an epidemiologist at Emory University. She was able to answer some of your most common questions and provide some very helpful insight into where we are with COVID.
As of August 9, 2021, Dr. Guest noted that “Delta is really different. It is more transmissible and is causing hospitalizations to skyrocket across the US. In all of Mississippi, there is not a single ICU bed available. In all of Arkansas, there are 8 ICU beds available. Across the US, hospitalizations are up 22% compared to last week.”
Will the vaccine protect me from getting COVID?
According to Dr. Guest, “if you are vaccinated, you are really well protected against getting COVID-19, even from Delta. No vaccine is 100% protective, so we will have breakthrough infections.” Based on hospitalizations in a hospital in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Dr. Guest notes that “91% of the hospitalized cases were not vaccinated. 95% of those in the ICU were not vaccinated. 95% of those on ventilators were not vaccinated. Our vaccines drastically reduce your chances of hospitalization, severe disease and death.”
If I’m vaccinated, can I pass the COVID vaccine to others?
Dr. Guest notes that “vaccinated people can carry the virus and spread it to others because the viral load levels from the Delta variant are so much higher than other variants we have seen. This is why the CDC recommends that we all wear masks indoors in public if we are in areas of substantial/high transmission. 89.75% of the US has these levels of transmission.”
Why are there breakthrough infections?
Dr. Guest remarks that is “because these remarkable vaccines are not 100% effective. Our vaccines are excellent at generating a systemic response and creating antibodies but before the systemic reaction kicks in, delta can sit in the respiratory tract and replicate the virus very quickly (this is why you can spread it if you get delta and are vaccinated). But – because you are vaccinated, this replication alerts the immune system to neutralize the virus in the respiratory tract before most people get sick (this is why most breakthrough cases are not getting super sick, being hospitalized or dying, thank goodness). New data from Singapore found that though vaccinated and unvaccinated people infected with delta had similar viral loads when diagnosed, if you are vaccinated, the viral load level drops faster. What does this mean? Vaccinated people are clearing the infection much faster, thanks to the fact that they were vaccinated.”
Why do people care so much that you get vaccinated?
According to Dr. Guest, “there have been too many deaths, too much sickness, and too many people dealing with long term side effects of COVID-19. This variant is much more contagious and is extremely dangerous for those who are not yet vaccinated, especially if you are not wearing masks. Second, COVID-19 will continue to mutate as long as there is virus circulating. Unvaccinated people, and communities with low levels of vaccination, are where the virus will circulate and replicate. As I have said before, Delta is bad enough. Please let’s stop this now so that we do not have to see the mutations that are coming after this one. So far, the vaccines are working well against the Delta variant, but if we continue to see mutations, we run the risk that we will see a variant that will escape the vaccine (the vaccines will no longer work). This will impact not only the unvaccinated, but this will also have real implications for those who are vaccinated because our protection will be now be gone. (And currently, our vaccine protection is helping everyone who is not yet vaccinated).”
Are HIV patients considered immunocompromised?
No, not necessarily. People with HIV would only considered to be immunocompromised if they have a lower CD4 count (generally below 200). With that said, this is something you should discuss further with your medical provider.
If I am vaccinated, do I need a booster shot?
The CDC announced on August 12 that certain people who are immunocompromised should get a COVID vaccination booster shot. According to the the FDA announcement, “people who are immunocompromised in a manner similar to those who have undergone solid organ transplantation have a reduced ability to fight infections and other diseases, and they are especially vulnerable to infections, including COVID-19.” The rollout process and logistics of these booster shots are still unclear but it is expected that they will begin very soon.
Jeremiah Robinson is a certified and licensed physician associate with T Douglas Gurley MD in Atlanta, GA.
A very special thank you to Dr. Jodie Guest from Emory University for her contribution to this blog post.