Testing positive for covid after receiving the vaccine

[Protein]

I'm nursing student who also works in the ICU and I recently tested positive for Covid approximately one month after the second dose of the Pfizer vaccine. I finished quarantine, medically cleared already, and still recovering. Symptoms were severe back pain, brain fog, sinus pressure, and an ear infection which is still causing me equilibrium and balance issues. It feels like I'm constantly walking on a boat. Currently seeing a specialist and taking corticosteroids.

Theorizing that I either caught one of the new mutations or that I just happened to be in the razor-thin percentage of vaccinated people that still got sick. This is not at all to discredit vaccination because in all likelihood my infection would have been more severe had I not been vaccinated. If anything this speaks more volumes on the importance of getting you and your family vaccinated as soon as you can and still practicing social distancing. My significant other who I live with also received the vaccine and never contracted covid from me despite being exposed constantly before I found out my results.

I'm not going to lie, I'm terrified of getting this a third time. It probably can't be good for the brain and vessels long-term. I've had massive anxiety over this and just worried that my balance may never fully the same again. Has anyone had a similar experience?

 

[bye]

My stepmom got it days after her first Pfizer shot, but I'm assuming she had it prior and it just didn't show up on the tests yet.

That's really frightening though and makes me worried that vaccines might not be the end of this.

 

[Karateka]

Was it your first time getting the virus?
Has the South African variant been located in your city in numbers?

 

[Rotkehle]

I hope that you will get though this without long lasting effects.

 

[Huey]

Man, sorry to hear that OP. Certainly could be a variant, but also worth remembering that although the Pfizer and Moderna and 95% protective, that still means that 5 in 100 people could still get infected when exposed. I'm a bit surprised your infection was so symptomatic though, as I'd hope vaccination would attenuate that, but maybe otherwise you would have had it even worse 😬

Really hope you feel better soon.

 

[Mr. Snuffleupagus]

Sorry to hear that, wishing you all the best.

I can't imagine there are many people on here who have had both vaccinations AND tested positive after that. I'm guessing you just got unlucky, but I'm sure you'll pull through!

 

[BoboBrazil]

Sorry to hear. I thought even if you got it after the vaccine you basically wouldn't feel any side effects and you'd be asymptomatic? Did you lose taste and smell?

 

[Septy]

As I recall getting the vaccine will show you as positive on COVID tests. Your symptoms sounds different from common COVID symptoms.

 

[Tappin Brews]

I know someone that got it 3 weeks after the first dose (I know the numbers are much more likely in this case, but still).

 

[Krakatoa]

So this is the second time you got COVID? If so this is even more bizarre as you should have antibodies from the first time.

 

[OrangeNova]

Vaccines don't necessarily stop infections, they stop serious infections, and so far have shown at least some towards reduced transmission.

 

[Guts Of Thor]

My cousin got both doses of the vaccine and then got COVID a week and a half later.

 

[Darth Pinche]

I can also confirm that the effects of the vaccine can be strong. I have been recovering from myocarditis since November and got my first vaccine (Moderna) a few weeks ago (I am a health care provider). A few days afterwards, many of my cardiac symptoms temporarily came back, chest pain, heart palpitations, and high fatigue. My cardiologist told me to expect this as vaccines can lead to more inflammation as an immune response is triggered. These symptoms have gone away and I feel better now, but it was scary and I share your anxiety as I know the second dose tends to have stronger effects.

However my cardiologist still recommended the vaccine as the worst thing would be for me to get COVID.

 

[Kard8p3]

Hope you recover quickly OP, at first I was going to ask how long ago you received the 2nd dose but you mentioned it had been a month, I know it takes 14 days from the 2nd shot to provide protection, and hopefully you didn't end up with a new strain.

My cousin got both doses of the vaccine and then got COVID a week and a half later.

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As mentioned above, it takes roughly 14 days (like that of a flu shot) to ensure protection.

 

[Mar Tuuk]

As I recall getting the vaccine will show you as positive on COVID tests. Your symptoms sounds different from common COVID symptoms.

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I didn't know this

 

[KingSnake]

If you already had COVID and two doses of vaccine, maybe your immune system is not well prepared to address the infections, like not producing the antibodies as it should? Maybe you should check that after you're done with the current sickness.

 

[Poltergust]

Sorry to hear. I thought even if you got it after the vaccine you basically wouldn't feel any side effects and you'd be asymptomatic? Did you lose taste and smell?

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I think the vaccine, if it doesn't fully immunize you, does reduce the severity of the disease to the point where death is entirely preventable. I don't think it eliminates symptoms entirely, however.

OP, think of it this way. If you didn't have the vaccine you'd very likely be hospitalized right now.

 

[Radarscope1]

As I recall getting the vaccine will show you as positive on COVID tests. Your symptoms sounds different from common COVID symptoms.

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That's incorrect. You don't pop positive on a test just because you got the vaccine.

 

[XMonkey]

You've already had COVID once before this (and presumably the vaccine)? Were your symptoms similar the first time?

 

[Krakatoa]

As I recall getting the vaccine will show you as positive on COVID tests. Your symptoms sounds different from common COVID symptoms.

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Not true, I get tested weekly and I am vaccinated and have had both shots.

 

[IDreamOfHime]

Your second time getting Covid, you've been fully vaccinated, and none of your symptoms are the commons ones?

Sounds like they should be taking quite a bit of your blood for testing.

 

[Protein]

You've already had COVID once before this (and presumably the vaccine)? Were your symptoms similar the first time?

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I'll try to answer as many questions as I can as soon as I can, but my symptoms last year were shortness of breath, extreme fatigue, fever, pneumonia, mild hypoxemia (91-94% dips), and brain fog (only brain fog lasted a month.)

This time my temperature hovered around 99 for days but it never hit as high as it did the first time.

 

[Septy]

Not true, I get tested weekly and I am vaccinated and have had both shots.

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Guess I had the wrong info then

 

[jwk94]

As far as I'm aware, the vaccine doesn't stop you from getting COVID. It just nulls the effects, rights?

 

[XMonkey]

I'll try to answer as many questions as I can as soon as I can, but my symptoms last year were shortness of breath, extreme fatigue, fever, pneumonia, mild hypoxemia (91-94% dips), and brain fog (only brain fog lasted a month.)

This time my temperature hovered around 99 for days but it never hit as high as it did the first time.

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Thanks for responding. Interesting that the symptoms this time seem pretty different. I'd say it's very unlikely (assuming you're in the US) that it would be a variant with the South Africa mutation given the relatively short time we've known about that and small amount of reported cases with that here, but I guess there's always a chance. I'm inclined to agree with what KingSnake mentioned, your immune system may not be properly responding in some way.

 

[SapientWolf]

Man, sorry to hear that OP. Certainly could be a variant, but also worth remembering that although the Pfizer and Moderna and 95% protective, that still means that 5 in 100 people could still get infected when exposed. I'm a bit surprised your infection was so symptomatic though, as I'd hope vaccination would attenuate that, but maybe otherwise you would have had it even worse 😬

Really hope you feel better soon.

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That number only applies to symptomatic infection though. Asymptomatic could be higher.

OP, did you get bad side effects on your second shot?

 

[Gunny T Highway]

Vaccines will prevent some of the serious effects of what COVID causes, it will never stop it from entering your body.

 

[Hollywood Duo]

That doesn't really sound like Covid. No vaccine is 100% effective so it sounds like if it is Covid you just got really unlucky.

 

[MIMIC]

Wait...you got covid TWICE, AND you've already got your second vaccine dose? Jeez. That's rough, OP. And your symptoms didn't sound minor, either (although they seemed to differ from traditional covid symptoms)

Glad you're recovering though!

 

[Jailer of Hope]

Wow those symptoms sounds exactly like what I started developing around last August but I have frequently tested negative numerous times thinking I had covid. My doctor blamed it on the west coast fires.

 

[Huey]

That number only applies to symptomatic infection though. Asymptomatic could be higher.

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Definitely... but they said they were symptomatic.

 

[Zoe]

I can also confirm that the effects of the vaccine can be strong. I have been recovering from myocarditis since November and got my first vaccine (Moderna) a few weeks ago (I am a health care provider). A few days afterwards, many of my cardiac symptoms temporarily came back, chest pain, heart palpitations, and high fatigue. My cardiologist told me to expect this as vaccines can lead to more inflammation as an immune response is triggered. These symptoms have gone away and I feel better now, but it was scary and I share your anxiety as I know the second dose tends to have stronger effects.

However my cardiologist still recommended the vaccine as the worst thing would be for me to get COVID.

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I got my first shot almost two weeks ago. The following day I had nausea and vomiting, but none of the fatigue or aches that people usually report (for the second shot). Since then, my temperature has been half to a degree higher than it was before the shot.