Are you vaccinated but your loved one has COVID-19? Dr. Grzesiowski tells you what to do

We know that those vaccinated against the coronavirus can get COVID-19 (the course is usually mild). We also know that even if they have no symptoms, they can infect others. Why do such situations occur and what to do to minimize the spread of the pathogen, i.e. in a situation where someone in the household has the coronavirus?

1. People vaccinated against COVID-19 can be contagious. How big is the risk of infection? British scientists calculated them at 38 percent.
2. The probability drops to 25% when all family members living together have completed the vaccination course
3. What to do when we are fully vaccinated but someone in our immediate vicinity has COVID-19? Dr. Paweł Grzesiowski encountered such a situation. The doctor explained how to reduce the risk of infection
4. More information can be found on the Onet homepage

The vaccinated can get sick and infect. How big is the risk?

The question of whether people vaccinated against SARS-CoV-2 can infect others has long been raised, especially since the appearance of the more contagious Delta mutation. The issue of infection by vaccinated persons was analyzed, among others, by scientists from Imperial College London. The study was conducted for a year, starting in September 2020, among 440 families in the UK.

Researchers concluded that fully vaccinated people could infect household members, as did those who did not take any dose of COVID-19. This can happen even if vaccinated people have no or only mild symptoms of the disease. How high is the risk of infection in my household from fully vaccinated people? Researchers calculated them at 38 percent. The probability drops to 25% when all family members living together have completed the vaccination course.

Why does transmission of the pathogen occur despite vaccination? Let us remember that vaccinations are mainly about preventing severe disease and complications, including death. So it may happen that we get sick after receiving the vaccine. However, the vast majority of these cases will be mild (including asymptomatic). – As long as such diseases are not dangerous for an infected person, such a person, even if it is asymptomatic, may infect others – Dr. Lidia Stopyra, a specialist in infectious diseases, said in the spring.

1. Expert: COVID-19 infections among vaccinated people more frequent than it seems

In addition, the effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccines is weakening over time. The data from the Zoe Covid Study show that, for example, the effectiveness of the Pfizer vaccine drops to 88 percent after a month, and to 74 percent after five or six months. – It was impossible to predict it earlier due to the speed of vaccination implementation – explained the immunologist Dr. Paweł Grzesiowski in TOK FM. The answer to this is a booster dose of the vaccine. Its intake improves resistance to SARS-CoV-2 and reduces the risk of infection and disease development.

1. A doctor explains why vaccinated people get sick and die from COVID-19

Dr. Grzesiowski: the best proof that you can not get infected with a sick household member

But what if there is a COVID-19 person in the immediate vicinity of the fully vaccinated person, e.g. at home? How to protect yourself and thus other people around us? This is exactly what Dr. Paweł Grzesiowski found himself in. At TOK FM, he shared this experience.

Further part under the video.

The doctor said that his son recently found out to be infected with the coronavirus. The boy is not vaccinated as he is not yet 12 years old. – He got banned at school. He has a fever and headaches. I am vaccinated with three doses, and so is my wife. We wear masks around the house, the air purifying device is working all the time, we disinfect our hands and we test ourselves every day – said the immunologist.

1. The most common symptoms of COVID-19 among vaccinated people. They may not know they are sick

He added that he and his wife limited social contacts to a minimum. – Wife went into remote working mode. If I can, I also try not to leave the house. We keep everything and so far we are negative – said the doctor. – This is the fourth day of the whole story and this is the best proof that you can not get infected if you have a sick household member, but you have to follow the rules – he emphasized.

Finally, let us recall the recent words of the WHO Regional Director for Europe, Hans Kluge: “The message has always been: stick to it all,” said Hans Kluge. – Vaccines are doing what they promised: they prevent severe COVID-19, especially mortality. But they are our most powerful tool only when they are used together with preventive measures (masks, distance, hygiene – ed.) – he reminded. “Used properly and consistently, they allow us to go on,” Kluge said, stressing that they did not deprive us of our freedom, but ensure it.

You may be interested in:

1. The priest encourages vaccinations. “Faith does not work miracles, but it kills”
2. A famous doctor has COVID-19 after vaccination. He described how he was feeling. “I would compare it to a hangover after seven beers”
3. Katarzyna had COVID-19 after vaccination. «It’s like a long, painful cold»

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