鶹ýɫƬ

News

I’m fully vaccinated but feel sick – should I get tested for COVID-19?

Arif R. Sarwari
By Arif R. Sarwari
July 25, 2021

Imagine last night you developed a little runny nose and a sore throat. When you woke up this morning you started coughing and had a fever. In the past year, your mind would have immediately jumped to COVID-19. But if you are already fully vaccinated, you might wonder: Should I still get tested for COVID-19?

Vacciinated1-445x250.jpg
Some people can still get sick after getting vaccinated for COVID-19.

, I am often asked this question. The answer is yes. If you have symptoms of COVID-19, you should get tested for COVID-19 even if you are fully vaccinated. You won’t be at high risk for hospitalization or severe disease, but if you are infected you , who could then get very sick.

Vaccines work but aren’t 100% effective

Researchers have developed some . The high efficacy of these vaccines in the closely controlled environment of clinical trials matches their effectiveness in real life. The mRNA vaccines made by Pfizer and Moderna remain .

That does not, however, mean that you have the same degree of protection from getting infected.

Vaccinated2-445x297.jpg
Vaccination prevents more than 90% of severe COVID-19 cases, but researchers think that only 70%-85% of vaccinated people are completely protected from any infection.

The latest research estimates that the mRNA vaccines offer . It’s impossible to know whether a person is fully protected or could still develop a mild case if exposed to the coronavirus.

If you did happen to get infected, you could still spread the virus. And that’s why testing is still important.

What is a breakthrough case?

When a person gets infected with the coronavirus after being fully vaccinated, this is called a breakthrough case. Breakthrough cases demonstrate a basic principle of infectious disease – whether or not a person gets infected depends on the balance between two factors: intensity of exposure and immune competence.

relates to how close an uninfected person is to a highly infectious individual spewing virus while talking and how long the two people are in contact. Immune competence relates to the body’s inherent protection against COVID-19. Unvaccinated individuals who’ve never been infected with the coronavirus have no protection – this is a completely new virus after all – while fully vaccinated people will be much more protected.

According to the CDC, as of April 30, 2021, there had been a total of in U.S. states and territories. These are usually asymptomatic or only mildly symptomatic cases, and most don’t result in hospitalization. Breakthrough cases will continue to occur, and though these people are than are unvaccinated individuals, .

Vaccinated3-890x593.jpg
If you have symptoms of COVID-19, you should still get tested, even if you’ve already been vaccinated.

And what about the SARS-CoV-2 variants? Well, the world has been fortunate that the mRNA vaccines in particular that have emerged so far. But it is entirely possible that at some point a and . This is yet another good reason to get tested if you are feeling sick.

As vaccination rates rise and daily case counts fall in the U.S. and other countries, it is also . COVID-19 testing allows officials to keep track of how much virus is in a community, and positive test results can help people quarantine before unknowingly spreading the virus to others. So, yes, please get tested if you have concerning symptoms, even if you are fully vaccinated.The Conversation

This article is republished from under a Creative Commons license. Read the .

Enjoy reading ASBMB Today?

Become a member to receive the print edition four times a year and the digital edition weekly.

Learn more
Arif R. Sarwari
Arif R. Sarwari

Arif R. Sarwari is a Physician, Associate Professor of Infectious Diseases and Chair of Department of Medicine at West Virginia University

Get the latest from ASBMB Today

Enter your email address, and we’ll send you a weekly email with recent articles, interviews and more.

Latest in Opinions

Opinions highlights or most popular articles

Where do we search for the fundamental stuff of life?
Essay

Where do we search for the fundamental stuff of life?

Dec. 1, 2024

Recent books by Thomas Cech and Sara Imari Walker offer two perspectives on where to look for the basic properties that define living things.

Scientists around the world report millions of new discoveries every year
Essay

Scientists around the world report millions of new discoveries every year

Nov. 24, 2024

Science is a collaborative endeavor, and international teams have contributed to a huge rise in scientific output.

Who decides when a grad student graduates?
Training

Who decides when a grad student graduates?

Nov. 15, 2024

Ph.D. programs often don’t have a set timeline. Students continue with their research until their thesis is done, which is where variability comes into play.

Redefining ‘what’s possible’ at the annual meeting
President's Message

Redefining ‘what’s possible’ at the annual meeting

Nov. 1, 2024

The ASBMB Annual Meeting is “a high-impact event — a worthwhile investment for all who are dedicated to advancing the field of biochemistry and molecular biology and their careers.”

鶹ýɫƬ impressions of water as cuneiform cascade*
Essay

鶹ýɫƬ impressions of water as cuneiform cascade*

Oct. 31, 2024

Inspired by "the most elegant depiction of H2O’s colligative features," Thomas Gorrell created a seven-tiered visual cascade of Sumerian characters beginning with the ancient sign for water.

Water rescues the enzyme
Essay

Water rescues the enzyme

Oct. 31, 2024

“Sometimes you must bend the rules to get what you want.” In the case of using water in the purification of calpain-2, it was worth the risk.