Mortality seen in 0.4% cases of breakthrough infection

Naina Mishra

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, July 16

Fatality due to Covid-19 was found in 0.4 per cent of the cases of breakthrough infection, according to the study conducted by the ICMR and the NIV, Pune, in collaboration with virology labs across 17 states and UTs of the country.

The PGI, Chandigarh, had sent clinical samples for next-generation sequencing.

The protection offered by vaccines is being questioned following the emergence of variants of concerns (VOCs). In April-May, 2021, a nationwide study was undertaken to understand the clinico-demographic profile of patients and SARS-CoV-2 strains responsible for post-vaccination breakthrough Covid-19 infections across the country.

To understand the possible reason of these breakthroughs, a total 677 clinical samples of individuals who had received two doses (592) and one dose (85) of vaccines (Covishield and Covaxin) and tested positive were collected from 17 states/UTs between March and June, 2021. According to the study, 67 cases (9.8%) required hospitalisation and fatality was observed in only 3 cases (0.4%).

“This clearly suggests that vaccination reduces severity of disease, hospitalisation and mortality. Therefore, enhancing the vaccination drive and immunising the populations quickly will be the most important strategy to prevent further deadly waves of the Covid-19 and will reduce the burden on the healthcare system,” read the study.

Further, 482 cases (71%) were with one or more symptoms, while 29% had asymptomatic Covid infection. Fever (69%) was the most consistent presentation followed by body aches, including headache, and nausea (56%), cough (45%), sore throat (37%), loss of smell and taste (22%), diarrhoea (6%), breathlessness (6%) and 1% had ocular irritation and redness. 86.69% infections belonged to the Delta variant. 

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