Coronavirus vaccines offer substantial protection against COVID-19 but you can still catch the viral disease after being vaccinated.
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New data published in the ZOE COVID Symptom Study app indicates there is a sign of COVID-19 only in "people who've been vaccinated."
The coronavirus vaccines deal two decisive blows against COVID-19, both of which are linked. Firstly, they reduce the severity of the disease in people that catch it and this in turn makes the virus less transmissible. However, the vaccines do not stop you from catching COVID-19.
What's more, people catching COVID-19 post-vaccination have reported a particular symptom not seen in people unvaccinated with the viral disease.
According to new data published by the ZOE COVID Symptom Study app - the world’s largest ongoing study of COVID-19 - sneezing more than usual can be a sign of COVID-19 but only in people who’ve been vaccinated.
As the study team explained, sneezing is not normally a symptom of COVID-19, and much more likely to be a sign of a regular cold or allergy.
"Even though many people with COVID-19 might sneeze, it’s not a definitive symptom because sneezing is so common, especially in the warmer months where people might experience hay fever," the research team says.
However, the study app data shows that people who had been vaccinated and then tested positive for COVID-19 were more likely to report sneezing as a symptom compared with those without a jab. This suggests that sneezing a lot with no explanation after you’ve been vaccinated could be a sign of COVID-19.
"However, it’s important to remember that the link between sneezing and COVID-19 isn’t very strong so you should stay alert to the 20 symptoms of the disease, whether or not you’ve been vaccinated.
"If you’ve been vaccinated and start sneezing a lot without an explanation, you should stay home and get a COVID test, especially if you are living or working around people who are at greater risk from the disease," the app researchers advised. ■