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  2021-10-01

  My Breakthrough COVID-19 Case

  October 1, 2021, I woke up with a mild headache and a stuffy nose. I didn't think much of it—I had started drinking coffee again and needed a cup, and I’m mildly allergic to my own cats. My headache went away after I had my coffee, and my congestion ceased after I took my Claritin. After working remotely and basically not socializing for all of 2020 and up through August 2021, I was happy to be out and doing things again. In August, I started working and attending class in-person again, as well as spending time with friends. I still masked up and washed my hands according to guidelines, but it did seem like standards for that were slipping. I take public transit most days, and I’d seen a number of people who either weren’t wearing masks or not wearing them properly. But I still thought I was fairly safe since I followed COVID-19 recommendations, was fully vaccinated, and my campus has an extremely high vaccination rate (100% of students are vaccinated or have exemptions, and 98% of faculty/staff). So when I woke up experiencing what I thought were symptoms of seasonal allergies, I didn’t think anything of it. I went on a date that afternoon, and then out for drinks with friends later that night. I was very tired when I went home that night, but I chalked it up to how I’d over-committed myself in the initial euphoria of being able to participate in things again. Besides, I was sleeping better than I’d slept in years. The next day, my congestion was worse and I was coughing. I had an intermittent headache, but I assumed it was just a cold. One of my classmates that I sit next to had had one recently, and she’d tested negative for COVID, so I just assumed I’d picked it up from her. I remained congested and feeling gross that weekend, enough to call out from my shift on Sunday out of an abundance of caution, but I figured I’d be ready to be back by the time I had class and work again on Wednesday. But Monday afternoon I was working on some of my reading and realized I couldn’t smell the new (and very strong) candle in my living room. To test whether it was just the candle or whether it was me, I sniffed my perfume and finally even put peppermint essential oil right under my nose, and...nothing. Figuring that it was likely I had COVID at this point, I scheduled a test for the next day. I felt bad about having to get there—was it better to take an Uber or a train/bus? Which was safer for everyone involved? I ended up taking a Lyft, but I left the windows down and made sure I had cough drops so I wouldn’t cough. Once I arrived at the testing center (where I was the only patient), they got me through quickly and told me they’d be doing PCR testing and I could expect my results within a couple days. I called out of work for the week and let my professors know I likely had it. I woke up on Thursday morning to see my results had arrived, and I had tested positive. I called my school for contact tracing, and they notified the classmates I sit next to and my coworkers. I texted my friends I’d been out with Friday night and the person I went out with, and it was strange to feel almost ashamed. I had behaved responsibly, but I still felt as though I’d done something wrong in contracting COVID. And I was exhausted, tired of coughing, and just wanted my mom. I continued to improve, and I felt mostly better by the time my isolation period ended on the 11th. My sense of smell had started to come back, so I wasn’t as worried about a permanent loss there. I was a little concerned by the disregard for no-contact delivery I’d requested when getting food/groceries, but it had mostly been okay. My shifts at work had been given away, even though I was better and out of isolation by then. On the bright side, my cats were thrilled to have had me home that much, so at least it was a good experience for someone. Everyone I notified directly or via contact tracing tested negative, fortunately. When I started going back to things, I just wanted to scream on the train when I saw people not wearing masks or wearing them improperly. I still do, especially as the number of cases rises.
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  2021-05-25

  Breakthrough COVID-19 cases possible but rarity shows vaccine effectiveness

  This graphic shows the rates of infection and hospitalization for breakthrough infections for COVID-19 among vaccinated people (as of May 2021)
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  2021-11-11

  What We Know So Far About Waning Vaccine Effectiveness

  As tens of millions who are eligible in the United States consider signing up for a Covid-19 booster shot, a growing body of early global research shows that the vaccines authorized in the United States remain highly protective against the disease’s worst outcomes over time, with some exceptions among older people and those with weakened immune systems. But while the vaccines’ effectiveness against severe disease and hospitalization has mostly held steady, even through the summer surge of the highly transmissible Delta variant, a number of published studies show that their protection against infection, with or without symptoms, has fallen. Public health experts say this decline does not mean that the vaccines are not working. In fact, many studies show that the vaccines remain more than 50 percent effective at preventing infection, the level that all Covid vaccines had to meet or exceed to be authorized by the Food and Drug Administration back in 2020. But the significance of these declines in effectiveness — and whether they suggest all adults should be eligible for a booster shot — is still up for debate.
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  2021-10-31

  Health officials push for booster shots as 50% of last week’s COVID-19 deaths in Illinois were breakthrough cases

  Health officials are pushing residents to get booster shots as state data shows about 50% of the recorded COVID deaths in Illinois last week were cases where people were fully vaccinated. The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) reported there were 179 COVID-19 deaths from October 20 to October 27. From the same reporting period of October 20-27, there were 91 breakthrough cases, IDPH data shows. A breakthrough case is when a person tests positive for COVID-19 at least 14 days after being fully vaccinated and did not test positive in the previous 45 days, according to IDPH. 87% of all breakthrough COVID-19 deaths in Illinois have been in the 65+ age group. Illinois Department of Public Health spokeswoman Melaney Arnold told Lake and McHenry County Scanner that COVID-19 vaccines “continue to be highly effective at preventing death due to COVID-19.” [Suggested Article] Illinois attorney general, 51 other attorneys general call on Congress to protect children on Facebook, Instagram “Of the more than 7 million people in Illinois who are fully vaccinated, breakthrough deaths have occurred in 0.01% of the population,” Arnold said. Arnold noted that not all breakthrough deaths reported from October 20 to October 27 actually occurred in that span. “It takes time (days to weeks) to match death records with vaccination records; therefore; there can be a lag in when the death occurred and when it is reported as a breakthrough death,” she said. Still, the reporting week from October 20 to October 27 had the highest percent of breakthrough deaths compared to non-breakthrough deaths since the state began publishing the data back in April. Currently, Illinois residents 65 or older, anyone 18+ with underlying medical conditions or who work or live in high-risk settings, such as educators and first responders, are eligible to receive a booster shot of the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines. Those who received the Johnson and Johnson vaccine are able to get any COVID-19 vaccine as their booster shot, the CDC says. “We know that advanced age is a significant factor in COVID-19 breakthrough hospitalizations and deaths, but a booster dose can help provide continued protection,” IDPH Director Dr. Ngozi Ezike said earlier this month. “While COVID-19 vaccines continue to be effective in reducing the risk of severe disease, hospitalization, and death, scientists and medical experts continue to watch for signs of waning immunity, how well the vaccines protect against variants, and how that data differs across age groups and risk factors,” Ezike said.
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  2021-09-07

  The Possibility of COVID-19 after Vaccination: Breakthrough Infections

  COVID-19 vaccines are effective at preventing infection, serious illness, and death. Most people who get COVID-19 are unvaccinated. However, since vaccines are not 100% effective at preventing infection, some people who are fully vaccinated will still get COVID-19. An infection of a fully vaccinated person is referred to as a “vaccine breakthrough infection.”