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Among new evidence that vaccinated people with breakthrough infections can carry coronavirus as well as unvaccinated people, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention cites people in high-contamination areas, wear a mask in closed public places, regardless of their vaccination status.

Vaccines remain highly effective in preventing serious illness and death, but the highly contagious Delta variant and persistent vaccine rejection have taken the United States in an unexpected direction. Reported cases soared to six-month highs.

Still, most vaccinated people with breakthrough infections are likely to have mild symptoms, and each exposure to the virus is an opportunity for the immune system to strengthen its defenses against future variants.

Here are some things to know about breakthrough infections and the Delta variant:

• Vaccines were intended to prevent hospitalization and death, largely as a result of damage to the lungs and other organs. Vaccines produce antibodies in the blood that prevent the coronavirus from taking root in these organs.

• In the early stages of infection, when people are most likely to be contagious, the Delta variant may be 1,000 times more such as those seen in people infected with other variants by defeating the immune defenses in the nose and throat.

• Some experts believe that breakthrough infections are more likely after exposure to the Delta variant than with previous forms of the virus. However, even when newer data are available, it is likely to show that most hospitalizations and deaths from Covid-19 occur in unvaccinated people.

• In some rare cases, breakthrough infections can cause persistent symptoms. “Long Covid” is a poorly understood group of symptoms that can affect people for several months after an active infection has ended. Several small studies have explored how widespread or severe Covid can be after breakthrough infections. It’s likely to be rare, some experts say, because breakthrough infections are rare and have a shorter duration.