You're listening to shortwave from NPR.

Hey there, shortwaveers.

I'm Ritoo Chateji here and today we're going to talk about breakthrough infections.

Now it's a relatively new phrase that's become really, really familiar in the past few months

of the pandemic.

While COVID vaccinations are saving lives, they're keeping people out of the hospital.

They don't quite offer complete protection against infection.

And so the virus, particularly the new Delta variant, can and is breaking through.

And it's happened to some of us here at NPR, including one of my colleagues, science reporter

and editor, Walt Stone.

Hi, Will.

Hi, Ritoo.

So, well, tell me what it felt like your breakthrough infection.

It was rough.

It was definitely right up there with some of the worst colds, the worst bouts of flu

I've ever had.

It started with this overwhelming fatigue and a sore throat and I thought, oh, maybe

I'm just tired, worn down, maybe sinus infection.

Then I got a horrible headache.

Started to spike a fever, which eventually got all the way up to about 103 degrees.

I'd wake up in the night, drenched in sweat, aching all over.

And I even lost my sense of smell and taste.

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