Breakthrough club

USGrant1962

Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
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Dec 15, 2016
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DC area
I'm finally over my breakthrough Covid-19 infection and thought I would see if anyone else was so unlucky? I was vaccinated in April with J&J, just a week or so before the ill thought-out suspension of that vaccine.

A couple of weeks ago I went to a small two-day business conference with, I would guess, ~250 attendees. The conference itself was in a very large ballroom with banquet tables, 3-4 people max per table. Much of the time there was only one other person at my table. Delta had started so there was a mask requirement. Most people wore masks while moving around but many, including me, took them off when seated in the conference room. Receptions and lunch (provided) as well as dinner (out) were of course unmasked.

The conference started on Tuesday afternoon, and I left Thursday morning. If I had to bet, I would say I was exposed at the reception on Tuesday night. Three reasons: 1) that reception was the most people in the smallest space (still not very crowded), 2) each day of the conference had fewer people around; and 3) symptoms started first thing Friday, so hard to believe I was just exposed on Weds or Thurs. Also, I wasn't out of the house before the conference and I drove to/from the conference alone, so transportation was not an issue.

Over the weekend, I was totally convinced I had a minor common cold. Symptoms were identical to many colds I've had - tickle in my throat for a couple of days with a minor cough, then sneezing and associated minor runny nose. No fever, no congestion, no shortness of breath, no headache or muscle aches, no fatigue, no loss of taste/smell. It did run a little longer than a common cold, with the tickle in my throat persisting for about 11 days.

On Tuesday last week the conference organizers sent a note that an infection was reported to them by an attendee. At that point I went ahead and got tested - positive! DW, also vaccinated, then got tested (negative) and was told testing is not necessary for vaccinated individuals that are exposed unless they have symptoms.

I got calls from my PCP and the state health department tracers. Both seemed surprised when I told them I was vaccinated. The state was interesting because they asked a lot of questions about my health, symptoms, etc. And then asked about tracing. I hadn't been anywhere since I left the conference so the only person I gave them was DW, who they said they would call but never did. I did mention that I believed I was exposed at a business event, but they didn't follow up - I'm guessing because it was in a different state.

Both my PCP and the health department said my isolation could end after 10 days, which was Sunday. On Sunday, 10 days in, I got a text from the state asking two questions - 1) did I have a fever - NO, 2) were symptoms improving - YES. Another text came and I was cleared from isolation. In addition, a text came with a link to a letter in my name from the state health department, clearing me for return to work/school. I printed and downloaded that for future reference.

This was my first event with more than 10 people since Covid started. Interestingly, my last public event was the same conference in February 2020. I came home from that with a "cold" as well. :-\

TL:DR, bottom line - I had a breakthrough infection and the vaccine worked as advertised, protected from serious symptoms.

Anyone else?
 
Just heard from our son. He was sent home from work this morning as one of his coworkers just called in to say he had tested positive. He is now working from home. The coworker is also a friend and neighbour who took a test following a positive test from one of his grandchildren. He is over 65, fully vaccinated, and no symptoms.

I dropped off some lateral flow tests on our way out shopping this morning. He’ll test himself every day for the next week. I also picked up another couple of boxes for myself now that I’m going to soccer games again. All outdoors but much closer to more people than is usual. The boxes of tests are free and can be picked up from most pharmacies
 
i had cold symptoms same as you describe for same amount of time about a month ago, after attended an indoor music event. Another member of our party had same symptoms.

Never tested so who knows?
 
This is not good news regarding breakthrough infections.

Israel is now finding out that breakthrough infections are not only not uncommon - they can lead to hospitalization and fairly serious illness, especially in people who received the vaccine last winter, or earlier. About 59% of the COVID patients in Israel who are "gravely ill" were vaccinated. The implication is that the effectiveness of the vaccine fades with time. Booster shots can help buy more time, but "are unlikely to tame a Delta surge on their own", according to the article.

https://www.sciencemag.org/news/202...ly_2021-08-17&et_rid=395144567&et_cid=3886270
 
This is not good news regarding breakthrough infections.

Israel is now finding out that breakthrough infections are not only not uncommon - they can lead to hospitalization and fairly serious illness, especially in people who received the vaccine last winter, or earlier. About 59% of the COVID patients in Israel who are "gravely ill" were vaccinated. The implication is that the effectiveness of the vaccine fades with time. Booster shots can help buy more time, but "are unlikely to tame a Delta surge on their own", according to the article.

https://www.sciencemag.org/news/202...ly_2021-08-17&et_rid=395144567&et_cid=3886270

Well, isn't that some fantastic news this morning. :(

Frankly, I am getting sick and tired of it. And I don't think these story leads help. How long have we been hearing these warnings? I am not saying it isn't a concern...but I can't help but think about the kid who cried wolf.

Now is a critical time,” Israeli Minister of Health Nitzan Horowitz said as the 56-year-old got a COVID-19 booster shot on 13 August, the day his country became the first nation to offer a third dose of vaccine to people as young as age 50. “We’re in a race against the pandemic.”

And so much for "herd immunity"

78% of those 12 and older fully vaccinated, the vast majority with the Pfizer vaccine. Yet the country is now logging one of the world’s highest infection rates, with nearly 650 new cases daily per million people.

Oye. And this wording? Lab rats...got it. Isn't that great to hear? Don't get me wrong, I am all about the vaccine. I have had a booster (of the books) but these types of stories will not advance the "get vaccinated" cause.

“Israel is the model,” agrees Eric Topol, a physician-scientist at Scripps Research. “It’s pure mRNA [messenger RNA] vaccines. It’s out there early. It’s got a very high level population [uptake]. It’s a working experimental lab for us to learn from.
 
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This is not good news regarding breakthrough infections. ...
But on the glass half full side (or maybe more than half full? Based on my understanding):

1) OP seems consistent with the general trend that symptoms after a vaccination are less severe (there will always be exceptions, and the media is likely to blow those out of proportion).

2) OP had the J&J vaccine, which is the least effective of the 3 offered (about as effective as the first shot of Moderna or Pfizer?).

3) Many of us get flu shots each year with a special mix for the expected variants that year. Isn't that similar to a "booster". And we do get boosters for some other vaccines. Why should we expect COVID to be different?

-ERD50
 
The US is close to announcing a booster plan. It sounds like they are going to authorize a booster after 8 months.

Breakthrough infections are going to happen, but the general theme is the cases are mild or asymptomatic, which means the vaccines are working. Thanks OP for sharing your story.
 
OP thanks for sharing and I am glad you are doing OK. Did I read your report correctly--you had Covid in Feb 2020, then had the J and J vaccine in April 2021 and then got Covid for a second time a few weeks ago? This is one persistent virus.

I am glad the vaccine worked for the OP and he was not very sick and that his wife did not contract it.
 
Out of curiousity, is it possible to test positive but have had your symptoms from a cold? I know two people that tested positive but had absolutely no symptoms whatsoever. So is it possible your symptoms actually were from a cold and not covid?
 
Last weekend our local soccer team was playing at home to a team from the town I grew up in, 35 miles north. I met up with a couple from there that I've known for decades as they are in-laws of my brother. I knew they had had Covid a couple of months ago and was interested in their story.

A teenage grandson, who is living with them, brought it home from school and passed it on. The grandson had very mild symptoms, his grandmother who was fully vaccinated, also had mild symptoms, but the grandad (my age) was pretty sick at home for a couple of weeks. The grandad was telling me the story, he developed symptoms the day after his 2nd jab so was really unlucky in his timing, as obviously you are only fully vaccinated until 2 weeks after the 2nd dose.
 
Thanks for sharing your story. I’m glad your DW didn’t catch it.

Did you ever hear more from the conference?
 
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This is not good news regarding breakthrough infections.

Israel is now finding out that breakthrough infections are not only not uncommon - they can lead to hospitalization and fairly serious illness, especially in people who received the vaccine last winter, or earlier. About 59% of the COVID patients in Israel who are "gravely ill" were vaccinated. The implication is that the effectiveness of the vaccine fades with time. Booster shots can help buy more time, but "are unlikely to tame a Delta surge on their own", according to the article.

https://www.sciencemag.org/news/202...ly_2021-08-17&et_rid=395144567&et_cid=3886270


....if you read the entire article there are some positive vaccines numbers so I encourage posters to read the entire thing. Posting those naked quotes isn't really very helpful.
 
Can we not post media stories in this thread please? This thread was started by the OP to share personal stories.

Prior threads in this forum have been closed due to arguments/excessive commentary over media coverage. And it easily becomes a distraction.
 
My wife and I both finished our 2 shot Pfizer vaccines in March. Both of us tested positive for Covid at the end of June. I have been working from home for the last year with minimal exposure and travel, my wife as well is working from home though she got out more for shopping than me. I got symptoms first, but no way to really know where we got it. My enthusiasm is not high for a booster just 4 months after the initial 2 shot series. I realize the vaccine may have allowed me to have reduced symptoms, though mine lasted 2 weeks, but the rapid need for a booster makes me think that this "shut-up and roll up your sleeve" attitude of the CDC, etc. is going to lead to more frequent need for boosters when protection seems pretty short lived and any long term negative effects are not fully known nor will they be known for some time.
 
OP thanks for sharing and I am glad you are doing OK. Did I read your report correctly--you had Covid in Feb 2020, then had the J and J vaccine in April 2021 and then got Covid for a second time a few weeks ago? This is one persistent virus.

I am glad the vaccine worked for the OP and he was not very sick and that his wife did not contract it.


I don't know what I had in Feb 2020. AFAIK it was a cold and I wasn't tested. The conference definitely had people from New York, Washington state, and California where it all first entered the US.


Thanks for sharing your story. I’m glad your DW didn’t catch it.

Did you ever hear more from the conference?

No, and I wouldn't expect to. They would just get random anecdotes from whoever called them. And FWIW I could have caught it from an Uber driver, waiter/waitress, hotel elevator - who knows.

I did check in with the people I spent most time with and none of them caught it or brought it (as far as they know). Most everyone there was vaccinated.
 
Can we not post media stories in this thread please? This thread was started by the OP to share personal stories.

Prior threads in this forum have been closed due to arguments/excessive commentary over media coverage. And it easily becomes a distraction.


And I'd also like to hear what if any treatment people used including natural or so called "non-approved" stuff. And I don't want that to turn into a finger pointing issue either.
 
My wife and I both finished our 2 shot Pfizer vaccines in March. Both of us tested positive for Covid at the end of June. I have been working from home for the last year with minimal exposure and travel, my wife as well is working from home though she got out more for shopping than me. I got symptoms first, but no way to really know where we got it. My enthusiasm is not high for a booster just 4 months after the initial 2 shot series. I realize the vaccine may have allowed me to have reduced symptoms, though mine lasted 2 weeks, but the rapid need for a booster makes me think that this "shut-up and roll up your sleeve" attitude of the CDC, etc. is going to lead to more frequent need for boosters when protection seems pretty short lived and any long term negative effects are not fully known nor will they be known for some time.


The last sentences of your post are not helpful and will lead to thread closure , please don't.
 
Can we not post media stories in this thread please? This thread was started by the OP to share personal stories.

Prior threads in this forum have been closed due to arguments/excessive commentary over media coverage. And it easily becomes a distraction.

Thanks, I started this to separate it from the booster discussion.
 
I don't know what I had in Feb 2020. AFAIK it was a cold and I wasn't tested. The conference definitely had people from New York, Washington state, and California where it all first entered the US.




No, and I wouldn't expect to. They would just get random anecdotes from whoever called them. And FWIW I could have caught it from an Uber driver, waiter/waitress, hotel elevator - who knows.

I did check in with the people I spent most time with and none of them caught it or brought it (as far as they know). Most everyone there was vaccinated.

I think this illustrates some of the failures (or limitations) of contact tracing. While not specific to your case, I think a lot of people who are testing positive are out and about on a daily basis. So, if it is indeed more contagious that the chicken pox (which is more contagious than a common cold) then trying to find a source would be pretty difficult.
 
Thank you, USGrant1962, for posting your experience.

It's good to get a tale of personal experience. It's refreshing to have somebody's actual story.
 
USG, if I understand correctly your wife never got Covid....did you guys employ prevention at all.
 
Anyone else?

Your story is similar to mine. Mild cold like symptoms, wasn't tested. A few days after I was feeling better DW lost sense of smell, so got tested, positive. Never more than mild cold symptoms, quarantined for 10 days. We're both Pfizer.

Happy I took the vaccine, also happy my immune system got a chance to do its' thing as well. Unsure I'll take a booster. (Not a high risk patient)
 
Thank you for sharing the story. Since none of the vaccines touted 100% immunity, I am not surprised that some vaccinated people would get it. I am thankful that your symptoms were not severe.

I do not know if there is any breakdown, of those in the "breakthrough" category, of attributes such as age, type of vaccine received, time period from receiving final dosage to covid infection, vitamin levels, etc.
 
The big problem is the folks who get mild symptoms and don't bother to get tested thinking it's just a cold or allergies, so they continue to go about their business and expose everyone they come in contact with.

I'm seeing multiple post-vaccination cases per week in urgent care. I'm quite sure the real number is far higher exactly because of all the people who don't bother to get tested when they get sick. There are also patients who do come in but refuse testing.


If you get any symptoms at all, get tested, or at the very least, quarantine for 10 days. Don't just assume it's not COVID and be out and about sharing it with dozens of others.
 
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