Those With Low Immunity Getting Breakthrough COVID Infection, Say Bhubaneswar Experts

Bhubaneswar: A year and a half after the outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic, the battle against coronavirus continues.

Vaccination against the dreaded virus started in India on January 16, and about 15% of the eligible population have received two doses till now. But many are puzzled by the fact that many of those who are fully vaccinated have been contracting the coronavirus disease, which is being referred to as ‘breakthrough’ infection.

According to a team of experts at Bhubaneswar’s SUM Ultimate Medicare (SUMUM) on Wednesday, such infections happen in cases with low immunity even after getting both doses of vaccine. In many cases, patients become seriously ill and require lengthy treatment.

Prof. Banambar Ray, head of the hospital’s Critical Care Medicine department, told newspersons that about 2% of COVID-afflicted people died and around 3% of patients required long treatment. About 5% of those who contracted COVID were getting critical, while between 12% to 15% needed hospitalization.

“But around 80 to 82 per cent of the COVID-affected people with minor or no symptoms did not require any hospitalization,” Dr Ray said.

Individuals with weakened immune system are at higher risk of getting breakthrough infection because the vaccine is less effective in such cases, he said.

Brig. (Dr) Biraj Mohan Mishra, Chief of Medical Services, SUMUM, informed that two patients who were critically affected by COVID-19 and were treated in the hospital for a long time had recovered due to relentless effort of doctors, nurses and paramedics.

One of them, 72-year-old retired senior bureaucrat Gautam Buddha Mukherjee, had comorbidities and spent 16 days in ICU as his oxygen saturation level was low. He was treated for nearly two months as he suffered from long COVID, Mishra said.

Treatment of the other patient, 21-year-old engineering student Mohammed Shafaq Ali, was a greater challenge as the patient remained critical for a long time. He was on ventilator and a tracheostomy was needed to be done as the lungs were in bad shape.

“Treating this patient was very difficult but we are glad that we could successfully bring him around,” Dr Ray informed.

He said the critical care and microbiology teams received full support from Cardiothoracic surgeon Dr Banabihari Mishra, Consultant in general surgery department Dr Satyajit Rath, Senior Clinical Nutritionist Sushree Sangita Jena and Physiotherapist P. Balakishore.