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
NEW After hearing thousands of last words, this hospital chaplain has advice for the living
Hospital chaplain J.S. Park opens up about death, grief and hearing thousands of last words, and shares his advice for the living.
Some Canadian families will receive up to $620 per child today
More money will land in the pockets of some Canadian families on Friday for the latest Canada Child Benefit installment.
BREAKING Iran fires at apparent Israeli attack drones near Isfahan air base and nuclear site
An apparent Israeli drone attack on Iran saw troops fire air defences at a major air base and a nuclear site early Friday morning near the central city of Isfahan, an assault coming in retaliation for Tehran's unprecedented drone-and-missile assault on the country.
American millionaire Jonathan Lehrer denied bail after being charged with killing Canadian couple
American millionaire Jonathan Lehrer, one of two men charged in the killings of a Canadian couple in Dominica, has been denied bail.
Ottawa to force banks to call carbon rebate a carbon rebate in direct deposits
Canadian banks that refuse to identify the carbon rebate by name when doing direct deposits are forcing the government to change the law to make them do it, says Environment Minister Steven Guilbeault.
Ontario woman loses $15,000 to fake Walmart job scam
A woman who recently moved to Canada from India was searching for a job when she got caught in an online job scam and lost $15,000.
Prince Harry formally confirms he is now a U.S. resident
Prince Harry, the son of King Charles III and fifth in line to the British throne, has formally confirmed he is now a U.S. resident.
Colin Jost names one celebrity who is great at hosting 'Saturday Night Live'
Colin Jost, who co-anchors Saturday Night Live's 'Weekend Update,' revealed who he thinks is one of the best hosts on the show.
Nearly half of China's major cities are sinking, researchers say
Nearly half of China's major cities are suffering 'moderate to severe' levels of subsidence, putting millions at risk of flooding especially as sea levels rise.