People vaccinated against Covid-19 will have to wear face masks, specialists explain why

Experts consulted by The New York Times , give indications about the possibility that people who receive the doses can have the virus without developing symptoms, transmitting it to others silently.

The new vaccines against Covid-19 Moderna and Pfizer contain a high effectiveness, the first is 94.1% and the second with 95%, for the prevention of this disease. However, there is still ignorance about the solution to avoid the spread of the virus, because in both tests only how many people who were vaccinated became ill with coronavirus were registered , therefore, the possibility that some were have been infected without developing symptoms, which could cause the virus to spread silently, especially if you don't wear a mask and keep in close contact with other people.

In the event that immunized people can spread the virus inadvertently, people who have not yet been vaccinated are at risk, especially if the safe distance and the use of a mask are not respected.

According to an article published by NYT , experts consider that vaccines appear to be extraordinary in preventing the severe version of the disease. However, there is a probability that the antibodies generated do not have a sufficient response to the viruses that develop in the person's nose and are spread and infect others through exhalation or sneezing.

"It's a race: it depends on whether the virus can replicate faster or if the immune system can control it faster, " said Marion Pepper, an immunologist at the University of Washington in Seattle.

With the above in mind, the NYT indicates citing experts, mucosal vaccines such as FluMist nasal spray or oral polio vaccine are better than intramuscular injections for defense against respiratory viruses.

"Many people think that once they are vaccinated they will no longer have to wear masks," notes the NYT article, mentioned by Michal Tal, who is an immunologist at Stanford University. "It will be really critical for them to know if they have to continue using a mask, because they could continue to be contagious," added the specialist.

As mentioned, vaccines can be an important protection against a serious form of the disease, but their nasal efficacy is not assured, since the lungs are much more accessible to circulating antibodies through the nose and throat. .

University of Arizona immunologist Deepta Bhttacharya explains it this way, "Preventing a serious illness is easier, preventing a mild illness is more difficult, and preventing all infections is the hardest."

This specialist was encouraged by a recent study showing that people received a flu shot intramuscularly and had abundant nasal antibodies. An investigation of coronavirus patients found that antibody levels in saliva and blood were closely matched, signaling a strong immune response in the blood, which would protect mucosal tissues.

However, this newspaper indicates that studies show that people to whom the vaccine is applied may have high amounts of coronavirus in their nose, so it is appropriate to use a mask for the protection of those who have not received immunization.