I read the study and that is not what it is implying. The stats they used for the unvaccinated were all the previous variants. That was then compared to those vaccinated and infected with Delta. There was no comparison b/w the vaxxed and unvaxxed infected with the delta.
It has beenreported that the viral load in vaxxed and unvaxxed infected with the delta is significantly higher than the previous variants and might be equal. All this is proving is that if you received the vax, you can still transmit the virus. Which we already knew.
DISCUSSION
We studied Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine breakthrough infections associated with SARS-255 CoV-2 Delta variant among healthcare workers of a major hospital for infectious diseases in HCMC, Vietnam between 11th and 25th June 2021 (week 7 and 8 after the second dose). 62/69 infected cases participated in the clinical study. One required cannula oxygen supplementation for three days but all made full recovery in line with recent reports regarding the vaccine effectiveness in protecting against severe disease.13-15 However, we found strong evidence demonstrating for the first time that fully vaccinated healthcare workers could still pass the virus between each other. Indeed, the 23 whole-genome sequences of SARS-CoV-2 obtained from the infected cases clustered tightly on the phylogenetic tree, but separately from the contemporary Delta variant genomes obtained from cases of community transmission in HCMC. This strongly suggested that these individuals likely caught the virus from a single introduction into the hospital. Additionally, because only 1 out of the first 53 infected cases of the outbreak were symptomatic at diagnosis, presymptomatic and/or asymptomatic transmission had occurred between the vaccinated members of staff of HTD. This was likely attributed to several factors. Firstly, high viral loads, >7 log10 copies per mL, which was strongly correlated with positive culture (i.e. infectiousness),8,16 was recorded in 11 of the first 53 positive cases of the outbreak at diagnosis. Second, HTD offices are typically equipped with air conditioners without mechanical ventilation systems, a well-known indoor setting that could facilitate the transmission of SARS-CoV. Third, mask wearing in the office was not mandatory at the time. Lower levels of neutralizing antibodies after vaccination and at diagnosis were associated with breakthrough infections in a recent report from Israel,18 supporting findings of the present study. However, we found no correlation between vaccine-induced neutralizing antibody levels at diagnosis and the development of respiratory symptoms or viral loads (i.e. infectivity). Thus, while neutralizing antibodies might be a surrogate of protection, especially against severe diseases as a whole,19 they might not be good indicators of disease progression and infectiousness for breakthrough Delta variant infection. The rapid increase in neutralizing antibodies after infection among cases of the present study in turn suggested that a third dose may improve the immunity and potentially the protection.
At the beginning of the outbreak, none of the HTD members of staff (including the PCR confirmed cases) were tested positive for N-protein antibodies, which only develop in response to whole-virus based vaccine and natural infection. Additionally, between 12th and 14th May 2021, all members of HTD staff were subjected to a periodic testing for SARS-CoV-2 by PCR, but none was positive. The data thus suggested that the infected cases were captured at an early phase of the infection. Therefore, by carefully following up the patients during hospitalization, we have also provided new insights into the natural history of breakthrough Delta variant infections. We found viral loads of breakthrough Delta variant infection cases peaked around 2-3 days before and after the development of symptoms, and were times higher than those of the infected cases detected during the early phase of the pandemic in 2020. Additionally, there has been only one report showing that 9/11 cases of vaccine breakthrough infection had no detectable RNA when retested within 2–7 days after diagnosis.20 Yet, we found prolonged PCR positivity was up to 33 days in our study participants. These factors might explain the current rapid expansion of the Delta variant, even in the countries with high vaccination coverage. In summary, we report the transmission SARS-CoV-2 Delta variant among vaccinated health care workers. Breakthrough Delta variant infections are associated with high viral loads, prolonged PCR positivity, and low levels of neutralizing antibodies after vaccination and at diagnosis. These factors coupled with poorly ventilated indoor settings and without mask wearing might have facilitated presymptomatic and/or asymptomatic transmission among the vaccinated workers. Physical distancing measures remain critical to reduce
SARS-CoV-2 Delta variant transmission, thereby mitigating the impact of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
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