Delta variant, breakthrough infections and related consequences

[PhilGeis]

17 hours ago, CharonY said:

As a single measure, sure. However, especially spread of infection can be improved by additional measures. I.e. vaccination should be the baseline, but we can add layers of additional protection.

In a range of regions with Delta dominant and at least decent vaccination rates we do see an increase in cases once restrictions end and often spikes associated with large events.

Of course vaccinations are the main tool and especially for prevention severe disease it is excellent. The main question here is whether we also want to keep infections low and what we need to do to achieve that. 

Spread is at best transiently impacted by masks etc. - and even less so with the delta variant.  They will not "keep infections low".  It's merely a matter of time until  a population experiences its surge. 

 

At the personal level, one may reduce risk, esp. transiently, with masks etc.   At the macro/mandate level - these have not been that effective and prob even less so now with the more infective delta.

Edited August 28, 2021 by PhilGeis

[CharonY]

7 hours ago, PhilGeis said:

Spread is at best transiently impacted by masks etc. - and even less so with the delta variant.  They will not "keep infections low".  It's merely a matter of time until  a population experiences its surge. 

 

At the personal level, one may reduce risk, esp. transiently, with masks etc.   At the macro/mandate level - these have not been that effective and prob even less so now with the more infective delta.

It depends on which time frame and implementation we look at. Theoretically vaccines also are likely to provide transient protection and only reduce spread but do not prevent it entirely. The point is that added habitual measures (e.g. masking even if you only suspect you might have been exposed) and especially use at onsets of case increases (as models with influenza suggest in the past) help to mitigate spike heights (though with Delta, it is unlikely to curb entirely).

For the most part surges can only entirely be prevented by behavioral measures, but those are difficult to keep up for indefinite times. What we are talking about are really just layers of protection that can chip away at the infection rates.

[PhilGeis]

On 8/28/2021 at 1:12 PM, CharonY said:

It depends on which time frame and implementation we look at. Theoretically vaccines also are likely to provide transient protection and only reduce spread but do not prevent it entirely. The point is that added habitual measures (e.g. masking even if you only suspect you might have been exposed) and especially use at onsets of case increases (as models with influenza suggest in the past) help to mitigate spike heights (though with Delta, it is unlikely to curb entirely).

For the most part surges can only entirely be prevented by behavioral measures, but those are difficult to keep up for indefinite times. What we are talking about are really just layers of protection that can chip away at the infection rates.

Behavioral measures at the individual level do not prevent - they mitigate risk.  As mandates, they may have an initial impact but have not been successful even in the moderate term for the reasons you point out.  They chip away at nothing.