Resurgence in SARS-CoV-2 Infections in HCWs Tied to Multiple Factors

September 3, 2021

(Medscape) – Waning immunity to SARS-CoV-2 vaccination, coupled with the highly transmissible Delta variant and the end of mask mandates, likely contributed to a resurgence of SARS-CoV-2 infections among a highly vaccinated group of healthcare workers in California, according to a report released Wednesday. However, the “headline here needs to be nuanced,” corresponding author Francesca J. Torriani, MD, with the University of California San Diego Health (UCSDH), told Medscape Medical News. “The SARS-CoV-2 vaccines are still working very well at preventing severe disease, hospitalizations (33 times better) and death. However, with loosening of masking requirements in Southern California and the emergence of the Delta variant, we are seeing a sudden drop in vaccine effectiveness at preventing symptomatic infections from 94.3% to 65.5%,” Torriani said. (Read Full Article)