Wendy Williams tests positive for ‘breakthrough’ case of COVID-19

Wendy Williams tests positive for COVID-19 breakthrough case

The TV talk show host has tested positive for COVID-19.

NEW YORK - Wendy Williams has tested positive for a breakthrough case of COVID-19, according to the TV talk show host’s Instagram account.

"The Wendy Williams Show," which was set to begin its 13th season on Sept. 20, will now air reruns until the rescheduled season premiere date, Oct. 4, to give the host time to recover, the post read.

"To allow Wendy time to quarantine and fully recover and to ensure that our productions abides by all SAG/AFTRA and DFA Covid protocols, we expect to begin the 13th season of The Wendy Williams Show on Monday, October 4th," the Instagram post read.

Last week, the show announced on Instagram that Williams was undergoing further health evaluations and would be unable to complete any promotional activities.

A breakthrough case, while rare, is when a person who is fully vaccinated against the novel coronavirus still gets infected.

In studies, the two-dose COVID-19 vaccines by Pfizer and Moderna were around 95% effective at preventing illness, while the one-shot Johnson & Johnson shot was 72% effective, though direct comparisons are difficult. So while the vaccines are very good at protecting us from the virus, it’s still possible to get infected with mild or no symptoms, or even to get very sick.

If you do end up getting sick despite vaccination, experts say the shots help reduce the severity of the illness — the main reason to get vaccinated.

But the understanding of how vaccinated people who are infected might spread the virus to others is changing.

Previously, health officials believed vaccinated people who get breakthrough infections were unlikely to spread the virus. But with the more contagious delta variant that is now dominant, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said new data shows people who get infected could carry enough virus in their noses and throats to spread it to others.

The agency updated its guidance in July to say vaccinated people should go back to wearing masks indoors in areas where the virus is surging.

FILE - TV personality Wendy Williams attends the 2019 NYWIFT Muse Awards at the New York Hilton Midtown on Dec. 10, 2019 in New York City.

"It is concerning enough that we feel like we have to act," Dr. Rochelle Walensky, director of the CDC, said in July.

Still, health experts say the vaccines provide strong protection against serious illness. In the U.S., people who weren’t vaccinated make up nearly all hospitalizations and deaths from COVID-19.

FOX News contributed to this report.