COVID-19 spread from vaccinated to unvaccinated may already be happening in Dane County

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MADISON (WKOW) -- A day after the CDC announced new mask guidance based on new research that shows infected, vaccinated people could spread the Delta variant of the coronavirus to unvaccinated people, researchers at UW-Madison say that type of spread is likely happening here, too.

Professors Dave and Shelby O'Connor say that the new research shows vaccinated people who experience a breakthrough infection of the Delta variant carry high loads of virus deep within their noses.

"The same sort of really high amounts of virus in their system as unvaccinated people," Dave said. "That changes the rules from what we thought they were even just a month or two ago." He says that means that the spread potential for someone infected and vaccinated, potentially even if they are asymptomatic, could be highly dangerous.

"Someone who's vaccinated and has a breakthrough infection, and is walking through a crowded building, is potentially going to be exhaling a lot of virus and is potentially going to be putting others at risk," he said. The O'Connors say research in Dane County is pointing toward that kind of transmission likely happening here already.

Read more at:https://wkow.com/2021/07/28/covid-19-spread-from-vaccinated-to-unvaccinated-may-already-be-happening-in-dane-county/

The O'Connor's say despite our high vaccination rate in Dane County, the Delta variant was able to take hold very quickly -- leading to nearly all new cases being Delta -- which shows how much of a threat it is and emphasizes how quickly we need to stop the spread.

"Here in Dane County, we had 70 percent of our population vaccinated, and Delta took over in three weeks," Dave said. "That's because it has these different biological properties... That very fast turnover where things became Delta all of the sudden means that all of these things that are special about Delta are just now going to be hitting us."

Tuesday, Dane County health officials strongly advised everyone over age 2 wear a mask indoors. The CDC classifies Dane County as having "moderate" transmission, which is outside of the "substantial" or "high" categories federal officials recommended mask back up. Dane County officials said they made their recommendation because they did not want to get to a higher transmission category.