Because we haven't really been on the lookout for superspreader events over the past year or so, we haven't heard much about them.
Early in 2022, the United States reduced and defunded its testing and contact tracing programs, and as a result, we lost track of the true scope of COVID. However, it seems that superspreading events after large gatherings like concerts, weddings, and conferences are still very much a thing if you've been out and about or heard stories from other people who have.
Even among those who have received vaccinations or have already contracted the disease, social gatherings can result in clusters of new infections, even though superspreading events may not be as common as they were at the start of the pandemic. However, the majority of infections that do arise from super spreading events are likely to be mild given the means we now have for preventing and treating COVID, such as vaccines and medications like Paxlovid.
According to Bailey Fosdick, an associate professor of biostatistics and informatics at the Colorado School of Public Health, "superspreader events have become less likely to occur and less likely to be reported because of the decrease in the susceptibility of the population as a whole, increase in personal protective behaviors, and the lack of case reporting.”
Superspreader events are caused by a number of factors.
Superspreader events are known to be caused by a variety of factors, such as the environment in which transmission takes place, how contagious COVID patients are, and the variant in question.
The primary cause of superspreading events, according to Dr. Janet Jokela, clinical professor and interim executive associate dean of the Carle Illinois College of Medicine, is frequently a contagious person who is not even aware they are infected.
Such 'superspreaders,' according to Jokela, "may not have any symptoms, may have only minor symptoms, or may be more obviously ill.”
As it happened in 2020, some people only shed a small amount of the virus for a few days, while others spread it widely and infected a large number of people.
The most recent mixture of variants are more adept at reproducing themselves inside of our nasal cavities, and it is generally accepted that the more adept a virus is at doing this, the more contagious it is. The ability of some variants, like BQ.1.1, to circumvent our defenses is improving, which could raise the likelihood that an infection will occur even after immunization or infection.
The environment also has an impact on how well the virus can spread. The coronavirus is particularly skilled at spreading in crowded, poorly ventilated indoor spaces.
The host, as well as the characteristics of the virus, the environment, the people exposed, and probably a combination of all of these, are what determine superspreader events, according to Jokela.
What do contemporary superspreader events look like?
Nowadays, most people either have some immunity to COVID from vaccinations and booster shots or from infection. The population has a high level of immunity, so superspreading events aren't happening as frequently as they once did.
But despite the fact that we are no longer tracking them, superspreading events can and still do happen. Elizabeth Carlton, an associate professor of environmental and occupational health at the Colorado School of Public Health, asserts that it is entirely possible for superspreading to occur at social gatherings, particularly if there are susceptible individuals present.
The catch, according to Carlton, is that we lack a magic wand to reveal who those individuals without immunity are.
But even when the crowd is largely immune, superspreading events can still take place. The immunity we develop following vaccination or infection is not invulnerable, and mounting evidence suggests that while vaccines are effective at preventing infections for a short period of time, over time they become less effective at preventing transmission. People become more susceptible to catching a reinfection or a breakthrough infection as a result.
If they do contract COVID, the majority of people with immunity will be well protected against serious illness, according to Jokela. Even so, COVID is still the leading cause of death in the U.S., indicating that substantial transmission is still taking place even though we are seeing less severe cases from superspreading events than we did in 2020. Not to mention the fact that if you have the infection, even with a mild case, you still run the risk of developing long COVID.
The frequency of superspreader events is unknown.
Since there hasn't been much testing, we really don't know how common superspreader events are. If anyone tests at all, Jokela claims that many people do so at home and don't report the results to their local public health agencies.
Even if superspreader events do happen, Fosdick continued, "we probably don't hear about them as frequently due to at-home testing and lack of testing.”
Know that you are probably well protected against serious illness if you were recently boosted or infected. Additionally, while vaccination doesn't completely prevent transmission, it greatly reduces it, so your chances of contracting the disease at a gathering with a high risk of superspreading are still lower than if you hadn't received any vaccination at all.
While it might not prevent infection with the current variants, Jokela emphasized that it does protect against serious illness.
Finally, the same precautions that were advised earlier in the pandemic—pre-event testing, masking, avoiding crowded areas, and investing in air ventilation—remain effective in reducing transmission and averting superspreading events. As we move through this stage of the pandemic, those precautions remain of the utmost importance.
Even though we no longer understand the frequency of superspreading events, we still understand how to safeguard ourselves from circumstances that could result in a sudden outbreak of new infections.
About COVID-19, experts are still learning. As of the time of publication, the information in this account was what was known or readily accessible, but as researchers learn more about the virus, advice may change. For the most recent advice, please visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
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