No Deaths in Patients Re-infected With Covid Even After Vaccination, Shows AIIMS Study

During the months of April and May 2021, no vaccinated patients died after becoming re-infected with Covid-19, according to a study undertaken by the All India Institute Of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in Delhi, India Today has reported.

During the second wave of Covid-19 in India, this was identified in the country’s first genomic sequence study of breakthrough infections.

A breakthrough infection occurs when someone develops Covid-19 after being properly vaccinated. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), “a small number of completely vaccinated people will still get sick, be hospitalised, or die from Covid-19.”

Despite High Viral Load

Despite a very high viral load, none of the vaccinated persons died from the sickness, according to the first study on breakthrough infections conducted by AIIMS Delhi in April-May.

Out of the 63 patients who had breakthrough infections, 36 received two doses of the Covid-19 vaccination, while 27 received at least one dose. Covishield was given to ten individuals, while Covaxin was given to 53.

According to the study, SARS-CoV-2 lineages could be assigned to a total of 36 (57.1%) samples, 19 (52.8%) in patients who completed both doses and 17 (47.2%) in patients who completed only one dose.

B.1.617, which was first detected in India, was split into three lineages: B.1.617.1, B.1.617.2, and B.1.617.3.

In 23 samples, the prevalent lineage was found to be 2 variant (63.9 per cent). They were divided into two groups: completely vaccinated people (12) and partially vaccinated people (11).

Lineages B.1.617.1 and B.1.1.7 were detected in four (11.1%) and one (2.8%) samples, respectively.

“While antibody levels for a subset of patients were available, they became infected nevertheless and presented to the emergency just like other patients, putting in doubt the protection offered and or clinical relevance of total IgG as a surrogate of Covid-19 immunity. The present report is unique in many aspects,” the AIIMS report stated.

None of the breakthrough infections that were investigated were fatal. All of the individuals, however, had a high-grade, continuous fever for five to seven days.

The patients ranged in age from 21 to 92 years old, with 41 men and 22 women. There were no comorbidities in any of the participants that could have acted as a risk factor for infection.

Because lineage B.1.617.2 was also found in this group, any significant variations in lineages between completely vaccinated and partially vaccinated samples were investigated. In both groups, the difference was not found to be significant.

Differences in the prevalence of lineages dependent on vaccine type were also investigated. There was no discernible difference between the two groups.

Ten patients developed total Immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibodies, evaluated by Chemiluminescent Immunoassay, in these breakthrough infections, eight with double vaccine doses and two with single doses.

Six of the ten patients had IgG antibodies a month before the illness, while the other four developed antibodies after the illness.

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