BENGALURU: Hospitals are reporting cases of breakthrough infections where people who have been vaccinated against Covid-19 have received one or two doses, but have still contracted SARS-CoV-2. These patients have milder symptoms and recover. However, in some rare cases, there have been deaths as well, among patients who had comorbidities.
In Jayanagar General Hospital, in the past one month, 23 deaths have taken place due to Covid-19. Of these, three had taken the first dose and one person the second dose, while the remaining had not taken even a single dose.
“Those who had taken the vaccine have mild symptoms, except for these four cases. The 54-year-old male who got both doses, suffered from hypertension as well. The remaining three who got one dose, suffered hypothyroidism and were on ventilator. Usually, Covid patients with hypothyroidism suffer prolonged disease, where deaths can only be delayed and not prevented,” said Sudha B M, Covid nodal officer at Jayanagar General Hospital.
At Sri Jayadeva Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences and Research, 30 healthcare workers got Covid even after being vaccinated, with one of them requiring hospitalisation, but was cured. The remaining had mild symptoms and were not hospitalised. “There was no mortality in any of these cases. The cardiac surgeon who was admitted had fever, cough and breathlessness, but was cured. The remaining had mild symptoms of fever, bodyache and common cold,” said Dr C N Manjunath, director of Jayadeva.
At Manipal Hospitals, Dr Basavaraj Kuntoji, consultant, Internal Medicine, has seen many patients who got mild, moderate or severe Covid infection after taking one dose of the vaccine. There were deaths among these patients too, including the need for ICU and ventilator. “Two weeks after taking the second dose, some hospital staff got a mild infection and were cured after 4 to 5 days. A CT scan revealed that there was no lung involvement. It did not progress to moderate, severe, ICU or death. This demonstrates the effectiveness of the vaccine and mirrors what took place in the vaccine trials,” Dr Kuntoji said.
Dr Smitha Segu, nodal officer for Covid at Victoria Hospital, said several doctors and nursing staff got Covid-19 even after getting both doses of the vaccine but they had mild symptoms, no complications or admission. They were isolated at home with fever, sore throat and cough, and all of them recovered.