Unvaccinated Ontarians bigger concern than breakthrough COVID-19 cases, medical experts say
Ontarians who have yet to roll up their sleeve for the COVID-19 vaccine are a greater risk for serious illness and pose more of concern than breakthrough cases of people fully vaccinated, provincially driven research shows.
“I don’t think we need to be very concerned at all with breakthrough cases,” said Dr. Jeff Kwong, a senior scientist at ICES, an organization that researches infectious diseases including COVID-19 and the performance of vaccines.
Public Health Ontario reports between Dec. 14, 2020 and July 10, 2021, there has been 1,765 breakthrough cases, 898 of which were symptomatic and 867 were asymptomatic.
“The main job is to prevent the severe outcome, so if they are preventing hospitalization and deaths then they are doing their job. If they can prevent infection, that’s great as well. We know they don’t work as well as preventing infection as they do against hospitalization,” he said.
“One vaccine person may get the infection and it’s possible they may spread to another vaccinated person, but they are both protected from getting hospitalized, they are both relatively safe and it may seem like a cold.”
“What’s worrying me is there are people out there who are not vaccinated.”
Among long-term care home residents and health care workers between Dec. 14, 2020 and July 26, 2021 breakthrough cases made up 14.1 per cent of cases, partially vaccinated at 23.5 per cent. Not yet protected (meaning one shot received in the last 13 days) was 62.4 per cent.
That message was echoed by Ontario’s Medical Officer of Health.
“Since Dec. 14 2020, unvaccinated cases of COVID-19 accounted for 95.4 per cent of covid cases, with breakthrough cases accounting for only 0.5 per cent,” said Dr. Kieran Moore.
SYMPTOMS OF A BREAKTHROUGH CASE
Moore said people with breakthrough cases can expect an illness with fewer complications.
“The symptoms will be milder, they’ll be shorter, they’ll resolve quicker, there will be less virus in the front of your nose, and the ability to spread virus will be less.”
Family doctor Jennifer Kwan said the Delta variant is showing higher viral loads in those who are infected compared to other variants.
“Right now we need to get as many people vaccinated as possible. We know that these vaccines work even against the Delta variant, at least in preventing severe outcomes.”
Kwan has been crunching the numbers over the course of the pandemic using Google sheets. She said interpreting Public Health Ontario data is more challenging because it currently includes cases from December 2020, a long interval when early on, fewer people were vaccinated.
“The data is showing that people who are fully vaccinated have a much lower risk of severe outcomes, and that the vast majority of hospitalizations, ICU admissions, and deaths are occurring in unvaccinated or partially vaccinated people,” she said in a message to CTV News Toronto.
DEATHS AMONG PEOPLE FULLY VACCINATED
Kwan points to the fact that between June 12 and July 10, 2021, 11 deaths were reported in the fully vaccinated category (out of 265), and that 10 of the 11 fatalities were over the age of 80.
She also found between the same time period, 84.9 per cent of deaths were in the unvaccinated, compared to 10.9 per cent partially vaccinated and 4.2 per cent in the vaccinated category, tweeting the data with the hashtag #vaccineswork.
“This will help people to make an informed decision about vaccination to protect themselves and their loved ones,” Kwan said.
Dr. Kwong said it’s the unvaccinated, not eligible children, or people who have chosen not to get the shot who are at the greatest risk of hospitalization and death.
“That’s why we really need to convince as many people to get vaccinated as possible,” he said.
“Ontario has a population of about 15 million people and there’s 12 million now vaccinated. There’s bound to be some breakthrough cases but we need to put things into perspective,” he said.
“The vaccine is not 100 per cent effective against infection, seeing these breakthrough cases is expected. It’s not worrisome as long as they are not the people in ICU dying.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
B.C. tenants evicted for landlord's use after refusing large rent increase to take over neighbouring suite
Ashley Dickey and her mother rented part of the same Coquitlam duplex in three different decades under three different landlords.
MPP Sarah Jama asked to leave Ontario legislature for wearing keffiyeh
MPP Sarah Jama was asked to leave the Legislative Assembly of Ontario by House Speaker Ted Arnott on Thursday for wearing a keffiyeh, a garment which has been banned at Queen’s Park.
Mountain guide dies after falling into a crevasse in Banff National Park
A man who fell into a crevasse while leading a backcountry ski group deep in the Canadian Rockies has died.
Body of Quebec man who died in Cuba found in Russia, family confirms
A Montreal-area family confirmed to CTV News that the body of their loved one who died while on vacation in Cuba is being repatriated to Canada after it was mistakenly sent to Russia.
Expert warns of food consumption habits amid rising prices
A new survey by Dalhousie University's Agri-Food Analytics Lab asked Canadians about their food consumption habits amid rising prices.
Saskatchewan isn't remitting the carbon tax on home heating. Why isn't my province following suit?
After Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said the federal government would still send Canada Carbon Rebate cheques to Saskatchewan residents, despite Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe's decision to stop collecting the carbon tax on natural gas or home heating, questions were raised about whether other provinces would follow suit. CTV News reached out across the country and here's what we found out.
Montreal actress calls Weinstein ruling 'discouraging' but not surprising
A Montreal actress, who has previously detailed incidents she had with disgraced Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein, says a New York Court of Appeals decision overturning his 2020 rape conviction is 'discouraging' but not surprising.
Charlie Woods, son of Tiger, shoots 81 in U.S. Open qualifier
Charlie Woods failed to advance in a U.S. Open local qualifying event Thursday, shooting a 9-over 81 at Legacy Golf & Tennis Club.
RCMP officers had no legal authority to enter man's home, make arrest: B.C. court
A B.C. man has been found not guilty of assaulting two RCMP officers – with the court finding he was resisting an "unlawful entry and arrest" in his home before he was tasered, taken down and hauled away in handcuffs.