Study: Vaccinated and unvaccinated have similar viral loads

SARS-CoV-2 variant B.1.617.2 (delta) is associated with higher viral loads [1] and increased transmissibility relative to other variants, as well as partial escape from polyclonal and monoclonal antibodies [2].

The emergence of the delta variant has been associated with increasing case counts and test-positivity rates, indicative of rapid community spread.

Since early July 2021, SARS-CoV-2 cases in the United States have increased coincident with delta SARS-CoV-2 becoming the predominant lineage nationwide [3].

Understanding how and why the virus is spreading in settings where there is high vaccine coverage has important public health implications.

It is particularly important to assess whether vaccinated individuals who become infected can transmit SARS-CoV-2 to others.

In Wisconsin, a large local contract laboratory provides SARS-CoV-2 testing for multiple local health departments, providing a single standard source of data using the same assay to measure virus burdens in test-positive cases.

This includes providing high-volume testing in Dane County, a county with extremely high vaccine coverage.

These PCR-based tests provide semi-quantitative information about the viral load, or amount of SARS-CoV-2 RNA, in respiratory specimens.

Here we use this viral load data to compare the amount of SARS-CoV-2 present in test-positive specimens from people who self-report their vaccine status and date of final immunization, during a period in which the delta variant became the predominant circulating variant in Wisconsin.

We find no difference in viral loads when comparing unvaccinated individuals to those who have vaccine “breakthrough” infections.

Furthermore, individuals with vaccine breakthrough infections frequently test positive with viral loads consistent with the ability to shed infectious viruses.

Our results, while preliminary, suggest that if vaccinated individuals become infected with the delta variant, they may be sources of SARS-CoV-2 transmission to others.

Competing Interest Statement

The authors have declared no competing interest.

Funding Statement

This work was supported by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention contracts 75D30120C09870 and 75D30121C11060 to D.H.O and T.C.F. The authors are also members of the Upper Midwest Regional Accelerator for Genomic Surveillance funded by the Rockefeller Foundation.

Author Declarations

I confirm all relevant ethical guidelines have been followed, and any necessary IRB and/or ethics committee approvals have been obtained.

Yes

The details of the IRB/oversight body that provided approval or exemption for the research described are given below:

The University of Wisconsin-Madison IRB office has confirmed that this project qualifies as public health surveillance activities as defined in the Common Rule, 45 CFR 46.102(l)(2). As such, the project is not deemed to be research regulated under the Common Rule and therefore, does not require University of Wisconsin-Madison IRB review and oversight.

All necessary patient/participant consent has been obtained and the appropriate institutional forms have been archived.

Yes

I understand that all clinical trials and any other prospective interventional studies must be registered with an ICMJE-approved registry, such as ClinicalTrials.gov. I confirm that any such study reported in the manuscript has been registered and the trial registration ID is provided (note: if posting a prospective study registered retrospectively, please provide a statement in the trial ID field explaining why the study was not registered in advance).

Yes

I have followed all appropriate research reporting guidelines and uploaded the relevant EQUATOR Network research reporting checklist(s) and other pertinent material as supplementary files, if applicable.

Yes

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Comments (3)

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    Carbon Bigfoot

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    Since this study was funded by the US CDC makes it suspect if not fraudulent propaganda. Did we not a post that says the viral load of Jabbed recipients was 271X that of the us purebreds (un-vaxxed)?
    John or Alan how about linking that article here—thanks. CB

    Reply

  • Avatar

    very old white guy

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    What about the studies that show the vaxxed have 250 times the viral loads of the non-vaxxed?

    Reply

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