(Newser)
– A new study will attempt to provide answers to what Dr. Anthony Fauci calls “an extremely important issue” – whether asymptomatic people who have been vaccinated can spread the coronavirus. And “if they are asymptomatic, how many viruses do they have on their nose and do they transmit it to the people who are their close contacts?” Fauci said Friday. The study, which is supported by the National Institutes of Health, will follow students on 21 university campuses, reports Axios. Half will receive the Modern vaccine immediately, with the others receiving the vaccines about four months later. Students will provide nose swabs, collected in bottles with bar codes. To test the antibodies, blood samples will be collected and screened using an application.
The payout can come close to $ 1,000 for volunteers, and the study needs 12,000 of them. Results on the effectiveness of the Modern vaccine are expected to be released in September. The study can play an important role in helping public health officials decide how careful vaccinated people should be, including whether they will need to continue wearing masks close to anyone who has not been vaccinated, according to the New York Times. The current guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says masks should not be used for small indoor meetings, although everyone should wear masks in public. More than 87 million people in the U.S. have received at least one dose of the coronavirus vaccine, according to the New York Times. (Read more coronavirus vaccine stories.)