You ask a valid question and one that I feel is answered quite well in the article I found below.
"The best way to prevent the virus from mutating is to prevent hosts, people, from getting sick with it," he says. "That's why it's so important people should get immunized and wear masks."
Another point, Amanda, is that with every mutation the variant changes into something more lethal and much, much stronger. There is no going back from it!
You make an excellent follow-up that self-protection is the best defense. Thanks.
You ask a valid question and one that I feel is answered quite well in the article I found below.
"The best way to prevent the virus from mutating is to prevent hosts, people, from getting sick with it," he says. "That's why it's so important people should get immunized and wear masks."
Thank you @amandajro for your reply. Exactly, a host is needed for the survival of the virus. Can you please explain how a vaccinated individual cannot be a host when the vaccine does not prevent covid infection? Those are contradicting reports. Very confusing. Am I wrong? Since it has been said the vaccine may only reduce the severity of the illness but not prevent a vaccinated individual from spreading the infection. In a vaccinated individual the virus will meet more resistance for its survival than in a non vaccinated person. That would be a more likely reason for the covid virus to mutate. Logic would make sense in a non vaccinated individual the virus meets less resistance for its survival and therefore less likely for the virus to mutate. In other words, the virus has no reason to develop a harsher strain to keep existing. Please correct me if my thinking is wrong.
Thank you @amandajro for your reply. Exactly, a host is needed for the survival of the virus. Can you please explain how a vaccinated individual cannot be a host when the vaccine does not prevent covid infection? Those are contradicting reports. Very confusing. Am I wrong? Since it has been said the vaccine may only reduce the severity of the illness but not prevent a vaccinated individual from spreading the infection. In a vaccinated individual the virus will meet more resistance for its survival than in a non vaccinated person. That would be a more likely reason for the covid virus to mutate. Logic would make sense in a non vaccinated individual the virus meets less resistance for its survival and therefore less likely for the virus to mutate. In other words, the virus has no reason to develop a harsher strain to keep existing. Please correct me if my thinking is wrong.
I found this to be helpful with regard to understanding virus mutation and the vaccine.
- Why Viruses Mutate, Explained by an Infectious Disease Expert: https://www.unitypoint.org/article.aspx?id=db428f77-6e61-497b-91ce-1317a3396dd8
"Delta won’t be the last variant of COVID-19 we see. That’s because every time the virus jumps to a new person, its chance of mutation increases. If the virus keeps running into vaccinated people, it hits a wall and can’t keep spreading. Decreasing the number of infections in a community is the best way to prevent new variants from developing,” Dr. Best says.
You ask a valid question and one that I feel is answered quite well in the article I found below.
"The best way to prevent the virus from mutating is to prevent hosts, people, from getting sick with it," he says. "That's why it's so important people should get immunized and wear masks."
Thank you for your feed back. I agree with the web md link to prevent transmission of the covid infection there needs to be no host. Is that ever possible? The links proves a mutation can occur when the virus meets resistance. It comes back more aggressive to combat the resistance hence the vaccines. This is from the CDC website from today: see bottom for a copy. https://www.cdc.gov
Once again people vaccinated or not need to mask and be socially distant. Seems even the vaccinated need to be cautious for contracting covid infection (no matter how mild) and spreading the infection to others regardless of their vaccine status. It is unfortunate that these vaccines are not preventing the surges. We see it happening in other countries with a high vaccination rate. Makes me wonder how effect it really is besides reducing the severity of symptoms. Surely the severity and contraction makes a difference with each individual’s risk of exposure( depending on lifestyle) and medical history. Reports according to the CDC have shown vaccinated individuals can still be hospitalized for covid infections and some have even died. I know the risks are rare but the fact remains they can occur.
Thank you for your feed back. I agree with the web md link to prevent transmission of the covid infection there needs to be no host. Is that ever possible? The links proves a mutation can occur when the virus meets resistance. It comes back more aggressive to combat the resistance hence the vaccines. This is from the CDC website from today: see bottom for a copy. https://www.cdc.gov
Once again people vaccinated or not need to mask and be socially distant. Seems even the vaccinated need to be cautious for contracting covid infection (no matter how mild) and spreading the infection to others regardless of their vaccine status. It is unfortunate that these vaccines are not preventing the surges. We see it happening in other countries with a high vaccination rate. Makes me wonder how effect it really is besides reducing the severity of symptoms. Surely the severity and contraction makes a difference with each individual’s risk of exposure( depending on lifestyle) and medical history. Reports according to the CDC have shown vaccinated individuals can still be hospitalized for covid infections and some have even died. I know the risks are rare but the fact remains they can occur.
Delta Variant: What We Know About the Science
Updated Aug. 19, 2021
On July 27, 2021, CDC released updated guidance on the need for urgently increasing COVID-19 vaccination coverage and a recommendation for everyone in areas of substantial or high transmission to wear a mask in public indoor places, even if they are fully vaccinated. CDC issued this new guidance due to several concerning developments and newly emerging data signals. First is a reversal in the downward trajectory of cases. In the days leading up to our guidance update, CDC saw a rapid and alarming rise in the COVID case and hospitalization rates around the country.
In late June, our 7-day moving average of reported cases was around 12,000. On July 27, the 7-day moving average of cases reached over 60,000. This case rate looked more like the rate of cases we had seen before the vaccine was widely available.
Second, new data began to emerge that the Delta variant was more infectious and was leading to increased transmissibility when compared to other variants, even in vaccinated individuals. This includes recently published data from CDC and our public health partners, unpublished surveillance data that will be publicly available in the coming weeks, information included in CDC’s updated Science Brief on COVID-19 Vaccines and Vaccination, and ongoing outbreak investigations linked to the Delta variant.
Delta is currently the predominant strain of the virus in the United States. Below is a high-level summary of what CDC scientists have recently learned about the Delta variant. More information will be made available when more data are published or released in other formats.
Infections and Spread
The Delta variant causes more infections and spreads faster than early forms of SARS-CoV-2
The Delta variant is more contagious than previous strains--it may cause more than two times as many infections.
Vaccines protect you.
The Delta variant is more contagious: The Delta variant is highly contagious, more than 2x as contagious as previous variants.
Some data suggest the Delta variant might cause more severe illness than previous strains in unvaccinated persons. In two different studies from Canada and Scotland, patients infected with the Delta variant were more likely to be hospitalized than patients infected with Alpha or the original virus strains.
Unvaccinated people remain the greatest concern: Although breakthrough infections happen much less often than infections in unvaccinated people, individuals infected with the Delta variant, including fully vaccinated people with symptomatic breakthrough infections, can transmit it to others. CDC is continuing to assess data on whether fully vaccinated people with asymptomatic breakthrough infections can transmit. However, the greatest risk of transmission is among unvaccinated people who are much more likely to contract, and therefore transmit the virus.
Fully vaccinated people with Delta variant breakthrough infections can spread the virus to others. However, vaccinated people appear to be infectious for a shorter period: Previous variants typically produced less virus in the body of infected fully vaccinated people (breakthrough infections) than in unvaccinated people. In contrast, the Delta variant seems to produce the same high amount of virus in both unvaccinated and fully vaccinated people. However, like other variants, the amount of virus produced by Delta breakthrough infections in fully vaccinated people also goes down faster than infections in unvaccinated people. This means fully vaccinated people are likely infectious for less time than unvaccinated people.
Vaccines
Vaccines in the US are highly effective, including against the Delta variant
Vaccines continue to reduce a person’s risk of contracting the virus that cause COVID-19, including this variant. The COVID-19 vaccines authorized in the United States are highly effective at preventing severe disease and death, including against the Delta variant. But they are not 100% effective and some fully vaccinated people will become infected (called a breakthrough infection) and experience illness. For such people, the vaccine still provides them strong protection against serious illness and death.
Masks
Given what we know about the Delta variant, vaccine effectiveness, and current vaccine coverage, layered prevention strategies, such as wearing masks, are needed to reduce the transmission of this variant
At this time, as we build the level of vaccination nationwide, we must also use all the prevention strategies available, including masking indoors in public places, to stop transmission and stop the epidemic.
Vaccines are playing a crucial role in limiting spread of the virus and minimizing severe disease. Although vaccines are highly effective, they are not perfect and there will be vaccine breakthrough infections. Millions of Americans are vaccinated, and that number is growing. This means that even though the risk of breakthrough infections is low, there will be thousands of fully vaccinated people who become infected and able to infect others, especially with the surging spread of the Delta variant. Low vaccination coverage in many communities is driving the current rapid and large surge in cases associated with the Delta variant, which also increases the chances that even more concerning variants could emerge.
Follow the podcasts with Dr. Gregory Poland, an infectious diseases expert and head of Mayo Clinic's Vaccine Research Group. Dr. Poland answers your questions every week here: https://connect.mayoclinic.org/blog/podcasts/
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Another point, Amanda, is that with every mutation the variant changes into something more lethal and much, much stronger. There is no going back from it!
You make an excellent follow-up that self-protection is the best defense. Thanks.
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2 ReactionsThank you @amandajro for your reply. Exactly, a host is needed for the survival of the virus. Can you please explain how a vaccinated individual cannot be a host when the vaccine does not prevent covid infection? Those are contradicting reports. Very confusing. Am I wrong? Since it has been said the vaccine may only reduce the severity of the illness but not prevent a vaccinated individual from spreading the infection. In a vaccinated individual the virus will meet more resistance for its survival than in a non vaccinated person. That would be a more likely reason for the covid virus to mutate. Logic would make sense in a non vaccinated individual the virus meets less resistance for its survival and therefore less likely for the virus to mutate. In other words, the virus has no reason to develop a harsher strain to keep existing. Please correct me if my thinking is wrong.
I found this to be helpful with regard to understanding virus mutation and the vaccine.
- Why Viruses Mutate, Explained by an Infectious Disease Expert:
https://www.unitypoint.org/article.aspx?id=db428f77-6e61-497b-91ce-1317a3396dd8
"Delta won’t be the last variant of COVID-19 we see. That’s because every time the virus jumps to a new person, its chance of mutation increases. If the virus keeps running into vaccinated people, it hits a wall and can’t keep spreading. Decreasing the number of infections in a community is the best way to prevent new variants from developing,” Dr. Best says.
-
Like -
Helpful -
Hug
4 ReactionsThank you for your feed back. I agree with the web md link to prevent transmission of the covid infection there needs to be no host. Is that ever possible? The links proves a mutation can occur when the virus meets resistance. It comes back more aggressive to combat the resistance hence the vaccines. This is from the CDC website from today: see bottom for a copy.
https://www.cdc.gov
Once again people vaccinated or not need to mask and be socially distant. Seems even the vaccinated need to be cautious for contracting covid infection (no matter how mild) and spreading the infection to others regardless of their vaccine status. It is unfortunate that these vaccines are not preventing the surges. We see it happening in other countries with a high vaccination rate. Makes me wonder how effect it really is besides reducing the severity of symptoms. Surely the severity and contraction makes a difference with each individual’s risk of exposure( depending on lifestyle) and medical history. Reports according to the CDC have shown vaccinated individuals can still be hospitalized for covid infections and some have even died. I know the risks are rare but the fact remains they can occur.
Full article from CDC issued last Thursday. https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/variants/delta-variant.html
Delta Variant: What We Know About the Science
Updated Aug. 19, 2021
On July 27, 2021, CDC released updated guidance on the need for urgently increasing COVID-19 vaccination coverage and a recommendation for everyone in areas of substantial or high transmission to wear a mask in public indoor places, even if they are fully vaccinated. CDC issued this new guidance due to several concerning developments and newly emerging data signals. First is a reversal in the downward trajectory of cases. In the days leading up to our guidance update, CDC saw a rapid and alarming rise in the COVID case and hospitalization rates around the country.
In late June, our 7-day moving average of reported cases was around 12,000. On July 27, the 7-day moving average of cases reached over 60,000. This case rate looked more like the rate of cases we had seen before the vaccine was widely available.
Second, new data began to emerge that the Delta variant was more infectious and was leading to increased transmissibility when compared to other variants, even in vaccinated individuals. This includes recently published data from CDC and our public health partners, unpublished surveillance data that will be publicly available in the coming weeks, information included in CDC’s updated Science Brief on COVID-19 Vaccines and Vaccination, and ongoing outbreak investigations linked to the Delta variant.
Delta is currently the predominant strain of the virus in the United States. Below is a high-level summary of what CDC scientists have recently learned about the Delta variant. More information will be made available when more data are published or released in other formats.
Infections and Spread
The Delta variant causes more infections and spreads faster than early forms of SARS-CoV-2
The Delta variant is more contagious than previous strains--it may cause more than two times as many infections.
Vaccines protect you.
The Delta variant is more contagious: The Delta variant is highly contagious, more than 2x as contagious as previous variants.
Some data suggest the Delta variant might cause more severe illness than previous strains in unvaccinated persons. In two different studies from Canada and Scotland, patients infected with the Delta variant were more likely to be hospitalized than patients infected with Alpha or the original virus strains.
Unvaccinated people remain the greatest concern: Although breakthrough infections happen much less often than infections in unvaccinated people, individuals infected with the Delta variant, including fully vaccinated people with symptomatic breakthrough infections, can transmit it to others. CDC is continuing to assess data on whether fully vaccinated people with asymptomatic breakthrough infections can transmit. However, the greatest risk of transmission is among unvaccinated people who are much more likely to contract, and therefore transmit the virus.
Fully vaccinated people with Delta variant breakthrough infections can spread the virus to others. However, vaccinated people appear to be infectious for a shorter period: Previous variants typically produced less virus in the body of infected fully vaccinated people (breakthrough infections) than in unvaccinated people. In contrast, the Delta variant seems to produce the same high amount of virus in both unvaccinated and fully vaccinated people. However, like other variants, the amount of virus produced by Delta breakthrough infections in fully vaccinated people also goes down faster than infections in unvaccinated people. This means fully vaccinated people are likely infectious for less time than unvaccinated people.
Vaccines
Vaccines in the US are highly effective, including against the Delta variant
Vaccines continue to reduce a person’s risk of contracting the virus that cause COVID-19, including this variant. The COVID-19 vaccines authorized in the United States are highly effective at preventing severe disease and death, including against the Delta variant. But they are not 100% effective and some fully vaccinated people will become infected (called a breakthrough infection) and experience illness. For such people, the vaccine still provides them strong protection against serious illness and death.
Masks
Given what we know about the Delta variant, vaccine effectiveness, and current vaccine coverage, layered prevention strategies, such as wearing masks, are needed to reduce the transmission of this variant
At this time, as we build the level of vaccination nationwide, we must also use all the prevention strategies available, including masking indoors in public places, to stop transmission and stop the epidemic.
Vaccines are playing a crucial role in limiting spread of the virus and minimizing severe disease. Although vaccines are highly effective, they are not perfect and there will be vaccine breakthrough infections. Millions of Americans are vaccinated, and that number is growing. This means that even though the risk of breakthrough infections is low, there will be thousands of fully vaccinated people who become infected and able to infect others, especially with the surging spread of the Delta variant. Low vaccination coverage in many communities is driving the current rapid and large surge in cases associated with the Delta variant, which also increases the chances that even more concerning variants could emerge.
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1 ReactionMayo Clinic recommends that all eligible people to get the COVID vaccine.
Stay up-to-date with the latest information and medical evidence by visiting (and revisiting) Mayo Clinic's Vaccine Guide website:
- Vaccine Guide https://www.mayoclinic.org/coronavirus-covid-19/vaccine
Here is some specific information relevant to the questions asked in this discussion:
- High vaccination rate is key to future course of COVID-19 pandemic, Mayo Clinic computer modeling shows https://newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org/discussion/high-vaccination-rate-is-key-to-future-course-of-covid-19-pandemic-mayo-clinic-computer-modeling-shows/
- Mayo Clinic Q&A podcast: Stopping the spiral of the COVID-19 delta variant https://connect.mayoclinic.org/blog/podcasts/newsfeed-post/poland-3/
- COVID-19 vaccine urgency as delta variant continues to spread https://newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org/discussion/covid-19-vaccine-urgency-as-delta-variant-continues-to-spread/
What is herd immunity
These are confusing times. You've got questions.
Follow the podcasts with Dr. Gregory Poland, an infectious diseases expert and head of Mayo Clinic's Vaccine Research Group. Dr. Poland answers your questions every week here: https://connect.mayoclinic.org/blog/podcasts/
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