Intentionally Getting COVID-19 Omicron Isn't A Good Idea; Here's Why Fully Vaccinated People Still Get Coronavirus

Even though fully vaccinated persons are testing positive for the virus amid a rise in infections caused by the omicron strain, the COVID-19 jabs are still "performing their job." But experts warn it's a bad idea to get coronavirus to get natural immunity deliberately.

Dr. Jeffrey Jahre of St. Luke's University Health Network said the coronavirus vaccine is similar to the influenza vaccination. The former's primary goal is to protect patients against contracting the disease's most devastating consequences.

"What we are speaking about there is hospitalization and, obviously, very severe hospitalization and in intensive care unit and also tragically, death," Jahre told WNEP-TV 16. He underscored that COVID-19 vaccines are still doing very well in doing their job for that situation.

Here's Why Fully Vaccinated People Still Get COVID-19

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, coronavirus vaccinations effectively prevent severe illness and death. However, some people who have gotten them will still catch COVID-19 because "vaccines are not 100 percent effective at preventing infection."

Deseret News added that the Omicron version could dodge COVID-19 vaccines and infect those who already have natural COVID-19 protection.

Furthermore, the Omicron variant has been reported to infect patients who have been thrice vaccinated. COVID-19 Vaccinated patients have fought the illness with booster shots.

Jahre highlighted that despite reports of breakthrough infections, or fully vaccinated persons becoming infected, more than 80% of inpatients and 90% of intensive care unit patients in his hospital's network remained unvaccinated.

Unvaccinated persons should not ignore COVID-19's omicron version, which is "highly transmissible" even if it does not affect the lungs as much as the delta variant.

The fundamental goal of the COVID-19 vaccines, according to Jahre, was to keep people safe from the most devastating effects of contracting the illness. He talks about severe hospitalization and critical care unit admission, and, regrettably, death. In that case, the COVID-19 vaccination has done an excellent job.

Jahre asked people to pay attention to the current situation and not dismiss it as insignificant. It certainly can be, especially among vulnerable people. There is something people can do about it: to be vaccinated with a highly-considered booster injection.

According to health experts, people should wear masks indoors and avoid crowds regardless of their vaccination status.

Since the pandemic began, the United States has recorded 58,446,019 COVID-19 cases and 833,952 virus-related fatalities, according to statistics given by Johns Hopkins University. More than a million new cases were reported across the country on Monday.

Don't Get COVID-19 Omicron Variant, Though

While most individuals have spent the previous two years desperately attempting to avoid COVID-19, others appear to be considering the reverse. Dr. Jessica Kiss, a family medicine doctor in Southern California, stated on TikTok that getting coronavirus is never a good idea.

Because Omicron is highly infectious, many individuals will become sick during this wave, both vaccinated and unprotected. COVID-19 was detected in over a million people in the United States on Jan. 3, prompting some researchers and members of the public to assume that it may be impossible to avoid the virus permanently. Breakthrough infections have grown prevalent, and they're usually minor for individuals who have been properly vaccinated and boosted.

Experts advise that purposefully becoming sick is not a good idea for anyone. For persons who have been properly vaccinated, it is an unnecessary risk. Dr. Laolu Fayanju, regional medical director for Oak Street Health in Ohio, told Time Magazine it's like playing Russian roulette with an automatic firearm for those who aren't vaccinated.

Akiko Iwasaki, an immunobiologist at Yale University School of Medicine who researches viral immunity, also pointed out to Time Magzine several flaws in this strategy:

1. There's no way to know how dangerous a COVID-19 infection will be.
2. Immunizations and boosters give adequate protection.
3. Every illness has the potential to cause a domino effect, infecting others in potentially fatal ways.

One of the essential reasons to avoid getting COVID-19 on purpose is the strain it creates on vulnerable people and our already overburdened healthcare staff. COVID-19 can infect anybody, even medically weak people, too young to get vaccinations or otherwise unprotected.

Check out more news and information on COVID-19 in Science Times.