CDC says fully vaccinated people spread the Delta variant and should wear masks: 'This new science is worrisome'
New science has again prompted the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to update its mask guidelines. The CDC recommended on Tuesday that fully vaccinated people wear masks in public indoor settings "in areas with substantial and high transmission." That includes a large swath of the US right now, including the vast majority of counties in the South.
The CDC recommended that all teachers, staff, students, and visitors at K-12 schools mask up as well.
The goal of these new guidelines, CDC director Rochelle Walensky said, is to "help prevent the spread of the Delta variant and protect others."
The CDC said in May that vaccinated people don't need masks, a recommendation based partly on data indicating that vaccinated people were less likely to transmit the virus to others. But the Delta variant — now the dominant strain in the US — behaves differently than previous versions of the virus, Walensky said.
"Information on the Delta variant from several states and other countries indicates that, on rare occasions, some vaccinated people infected with the Delta variant after vaccination may be contagious and spread the virus to others," Walensky said during a press call on Tuesday.
"This new science is worrisome and unfortunately warrants an update to our recommendations."
Walensky said CDC investigations have found that the amount of virus present in vaccinated people infected with Delta is similar to the levels found in unvaccinated people with Delta infections. That's an indication that vaccinated people can easily transmit the virus — even though they're less likely to get sick on the whole.
@Emboldened Shin Min's article is based upon this recent report by CNN:
UK scientists believe it is 'almost certain' a coronavirus variant will emerge that beats current vaccines
An analysis by British academics, published by the UK Government's official scientific advisory group, says that they believe it is "almost certain" that a SARS-Cov-2 variant will emerge that "leads to current vaccine failure." SARS-CoV-2 is the virus that causes Covid-19.
The analysis has not been peer-reviewed, the early research is theoretical, and does not provide any proof that such a variant is in circulation now. Documents like it are released "as pre-print publications that have provided the government with rapid evidence during an emergency."
The paper is dated July 26, and was published by the British government on Friday.
The scientists write that because eradication of the virus is "unlikely," they have "high confidence" that variants will continue to emerge. They say it is "almost certain" that there will be "a gradual or punctuated accumulation of antigenic variation that eventually leads to current vaccine failure."
They recommend that authorities continue to reduce virus transmission as much as possible to reduce the chance of a new, vaccine-resistant variant.
They also recommend that research focus on new vaccines that not only prevent hospital admission and disease, but also "induce high and durable levels of mucosal immunity."
The goal, they say, should be "to reduce infection of and transmission from vaccinated individuals," and to "reduce the possibility of variant selection in vaccinated individuals." Research is already underway at several companies that make the Covid-19 vaccines to address new variants.
The views were expressed in a paper "by group of academics on scenarios for the longer term evolution of SARS-CoV-2," and discussed and published by the UK's Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (SAGE).
They write that some variants that have emerged over the past few months "show a reduced susceptibility to vaccine-acquired immunity, though none appears to escape entirely."
But they caution that these variants emerged "before vaccination was widespread," and that "as vaccines become more widespread, the transmission advantage gained by a virus that can evade vaccine-acquired immunity will increase."
This is an issue that SAGE has warned about before.
In minutes from its July 7 meeting, SAGE scientists wrote that "the combination of high prevalence and high levels of vaccination creates the conditions in which an immune escape variant is most likely to emerge." It said at the time that "the likelihood of this happening is unknown, but such a variant would present a significant risk both in the UK and internationally."
PAP is desperate to spread SG's legs wide open once more, so all you old folks out there better just cooperate and have your wrinkled asses jabbed ASAP. If you are afraid of dying, feel free to lull yourself into a false sense of security with this excellently produced piece of propaganda.
CDC Confirms That Viral Loads In Vaccinated People With Delta May Be Infectious, So Masks Are Necessary
The Centers for Disease Control reversed course Monday and said it now recommends indoor masks for the vaccinated in all areas of the country where COVID infections are surging. CDC director Dr. Rochelle Walensky cited unpublished data from recent days suggesting that vaccinated people may be able to spread the Delta variant just as easily as unvaccinated people.
We're back in a phase of constantly shifting information and data — and just last week we had experts casting doubt on whether vaccinated and mildly symptomatic or asymptomatic cases should be counted as "breakthrough" cases, and others casting doubt on whether vaccinated people could spread the virus easily.
But as was expected, the CDC changed its tune about masking on Tuesday, recommending that vaccinated people resume wearing masks in crowded indoor settings. And, it should be noted, that while outdoor gatherings are still being considered safe, some experts are also now casting doubt on whether that's still true with the Delta variant. Dr. Eric Feigl-Ding, one of the world's leading epidemiologists, pointed to some recent outdoor "fleeting" transmission cases in Australia that appeared to happen without any close contact between individuals.
As the Associated Press notes, Walensky cited data from the last few days, still unpublished, taken from 100 samples from vaccinated and unvaccinated individuals with COVID infections. They found that the amount of virus in the noses and throats of vaccinated infected people was nearly "indistinguishable" from what was found in unvaccinated people, confirming what some experts have suspected. The increased viral load associated with the Delta variant appears to make vaccinated people equal spreaders of the virus. Walensky said that the data was "concerning enough that we feel like we have to act."
Infections in vaccinated people are still vastly less severe than those among the unvaccinated, and the overwhelming number of hospitalizations and deaths are happening among the unvaccinated. But new evidence is enough to make the vaccinated feel less secure about what happens if they're exposed to the Delta variant.
Last week, UCSF infectious disease expert Dr. Monica Gandhi tried to quell fears about infections in the vaccinated population, saying that some of these mild and asymptomatic cases could be turning up "dead viral particles in your nose" that trigger positive tests. And she questioned whether those cases are as worrisome or as noteworthy, public-health-wise, as those in unvaccinated people.
Gandhi also previously cautioned that the renewed hysteria among epidemiologists was reminiscent of the AIDS pandemic, and it took time to come up with mitigation measures that were less driven by panic. "The way that scientists are talking now was how scientists were talking at the beginning of the HIV epidemic," Gandhi said speaking to Slate. "It took some time, and everyone was scared and screaming, just like we are now, at the beginning of the HIV epidemic." *
Gandhi contributed to this piece today in the Washington Post, trying to parse the yo-yo guidance. "To get through this next stage of the pandemic as safely as possible, we’ll need to know when we can lift restrictions without sparking new surges. Fortunately, if we pay attention to some key metrics, we can figure that out," the authors write. They add that new mask guidance is about returning to an "acceptable" level of hospitalization and death, similar to the seasonal flu. "All pandemics end," Gandhi and her colleagues say. "The question is, how do we know when they do? These metrics will help us know when to begin to lift restrictions and get on track to a new normal."
So, again, we're in a place of wondering who to believe.
Speaking at a White House press conference today, Press Secretary Jen Psaki said that CDC continues doing what it is is supposed to do as data and the need for new guidance changes.
"That is their job," she said. "Their job is to look at evolving information, evolving data, an evolving historic pandemic and provide guidance to the American public." She reiterated that being vaccinated remains the best protection against the virus.
As for whether San Francisco is considered a high-transmission area by the CDC right now, it is. According to the CDC's tracker, Alameda, Contra Costa, San Francisco and Solano counties are all areas of high transmission, while the rest of the Bay Area is in the "substantial transmission" category.
One more worry: For the last two days on Twitter, Dr. Feigl-Ding has been stressing studies out of England that suggest that COVID-19 infections appear to cause cognitive declines even among those who have mild or even asymptomatic cases — though the cognitive declines were sharper among those who were hospitalized with severe cases.
"Folks — gonna level with you — I would not want this for myself or anyone I know," Feigl-Ding said. "Death is not the only bad outcome of #COVID19 — even if we survive, there are huge chronic consequences... Avoid infection not just hospitalization!"
Furthermore, in today's new CDC guidance, they are now recommending masks for all teachers, staff, students, and visitors to schools, regardless of vaccination status.
Let's hope the monkeys in white will do an about-face on their inexplicable decision to discriminate between the vaxxed and unvaxxed, assuming they still possess a shred of conscience that is.
Many will die while countless economies will go belly up, but at the end of it all Earth will become more habitable with a significantly reduced global population and reined in ambitions.
CDC says fully vaccinated people spread the Delta variant and should wear masks: 'This new science is worrisome'
New science has again prompted the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to update its mask guidelines. The CDC recommended on Tuesday that fully vaccinated people wear masks in public indoor settings "in areas with substantial and high transmission." That includes a large swath of the US right now, including the vast majority of counties in the South.
The CDC recommended that all teachers, staff, students, and visitors at K-12 schools mask up as well.
The goal of these new guidelines, CDC director Rochelle Walensky said, is to "help prevent the spread of the Delta variant and protect others."
The CDC said in May that vaccinated people don't need masks, a recommendation based partly on data indicating that vaccinated people were less likely to transmit the virus to others. But the Delta variant — now the dominant strain in the US — behaves differently than previous versions of the virus, Walensky said.
"Information on the Delta variant from several states and other countries indicates that, on rare occasions, some vaccinated people infected with the Delta variant after vaccination may be contagious and spread the virus to others," Walensky said during a press call on Tuesday.
"This new science is worrisome and unfortunately warrants an update to our recommendations."
Walensky said CDC investigations have found that the amount of virus present in vaccinated people infected with Delta is similar to the levels found in unvaccinated people with Delta infections. That's an indication that vaccinated people can easily transmit the virus — even though they're less likely to get sick on the whole.
More at https://www.businessinsider.com/cdc-fully-vaccinated-people-can-spread-delta-variant-2021-7
OMG......if this becomes a reality we are all so f**ked.
MOH insists a fully vaccinated 60+ year old woman has ended up in the ICU owing to other prevailing illnesses, not because she got jabbed:
CDC Confirms That Viral Loads In Vaccinated People With Delta May Be Infectious, So Masks Are Necessary
The Centers for Disease Control reversed course Monday and said it now recommends indoor masks for the vaccinated in all areas of the country where COVID infections are surging. CDC director Dr. Rochelle Walensky cited unpublished data from recent days suggesting that vaccinated people may be able to spread the Delta variant just as easily as unvaccinated people.
We're back in a phase of constantly shifting information and data — and just last week we had experts casting doubt on whether vaccinated and mildly symptomatic or asymptomatic cases should be counted as "breakthrough" cases, and others casting doubt on whether vaccinated people could spread the virus easily.
But as was expected, the CDC changed its tune about masking on Tuesday, recommending that vaccinated people resume wearing masks in crowded indoor settings. And, it should be noted, that while outdoor gatherings are still being considered safe, some experts are also now casting doubt on whether that's still true with the Delta variant. Dr. Eric Feigl-Ding, one of the world's leading epidemiologists, pointed to some recent outdoor "fleeting" transmission cases in Australia that appeared to happen without any close contact between individuals.
As the Associated Press notes, Walensky cited data from the last few days, still unpublished, taken from 100 samples from vaccinated and unvaccinated individuals with COVID infections. They found that the amount of virus in the noses and throats of vaccinated infected people was nearly "indistinguishable" from what was found in unvaccinated people, confirming what some experts have suspected. The increased viral load associated with the Delta variant appears to make vaccinated people equal spreaders of the virus. Walensky said that the data was "concerning enough that we feel like we have to act."
Infections in vaccinated people are still vastly less severe than those among the unvaccinated, and the overwhelming number of hospitalizations and deaths are happening among the unvaccinated. But new evidence is enough to make the vaccinated feel less secure about what happens if they're exposed to the Delta variant.
Last week, UCSF infectious disease expert Dr. Monica Gandhi tried to quell fears about infections in the vaccinated population, saying that some of these mild and asymptomatic cases could be turning up "dead viral particles in your nose" that trigger positive tests. And she questioned whether those cases are as worrisome or as noteworthy, public-health-wise, as those in unvaccinated people.
Gandhi also previously cautioned that the renewed hysteria among epidemiologists was reminiscent of the AIDS pandemic, and it took time to come up with mitigation measures that were less driven by panic. "The way that scientists are talking now was how scientists were talking at the beginning of the HIV epidemic," Gandhi said speaking to Slate. "It took some time, and everyone was scared and screaming, just like we are now, at the beginning of the HIV epidemic." *
Gandhi contributed to this piece today in the Washington Post, trying to parse the yo-yo guidance. "To get through this next stage of the pandemic as safely as possible, we’ll need to know when we can lift restrictions without sparking new surges. Fortunately, if we pay attention to some key metrics, we can figure that out," the authors write. They add that new mask guidance is about returning to an "acceptable" level of hospitalization and death, similar to the seasonal flu. "All pandemics end," Gandhi and her colleagues say. "The question is, how do we know when they do? These metrics will help us know when to begin to lift restrictions and get on track to a new normal."
So, again, we're in a place of wondering who to believe.
Speaking at a White House press conference today, Press Secretary Jen Psaki said that CDC continues doing what it is is supposed to do as data and the need for new guidance changes.
"That is their job," she said. "Their job is to look at evolving information, evolving data, an evolving historic pandemic and provide guidance to the American public." She reiterated that being vaccinated remains the best protection against the virus.
As for whether San Francisco is considered a high-transmission area by the CDC right now, it is. According to the CDC's tracker, Alameda, Contra Costa, San Francisco and Solano counties are all areas of high transmission, while the rest of the Bay Area is in the "substantial transmission" category.
One more worry: For the last two days on Twitter, Dr. Feigl-Ding has been stressing studies out of England that suggest that COVID-19 infections appear to cause cognitive declines even among those who have mild or even asymptomatic cases — though the cognitive declines were sharper among those who were hospitalized with severe cases.
"Folks — gonna level with you — I would not want this for myself or anyone I know," Feigl-Ding said. "Death is not the only bad outcome of #COVID19 — even if we survive, there are huge chronic consequences... Avoid infection not just hospitalization!"
Furthermore, in today's new CDC guidance, they are now recommending masks for all teachers, staff, students, and visitors to schools, regardless of vaccination status.
https://sfist.com/2021/07/27/cdc-confirms-that-viral-loads-in-vaccinated-people-with-delta-are-indistinguishable-from-unvaccinated/
Many will die while countless economies will go belly up, but at the end of it all Earth will become more habitable with a significantly reduced global population and reined in ambitions.
Tiagong the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine will help enlarge the breasts of pubescent girls!
Monkeys in white having vested interests? Look no further than the empress dowager herself. ;)