You are not confused. They are.

Here are three sites which give the number of tests administered to be more than 360M (more than one for every US citizen):
Statista
COVID tracking project
JHU

Both the COVID tracking project and the JHU page give the number of cases in the neighborhood of 30M. The COVID tracking page gives the number of individuals who tested negative as 75M.

30M cases + 75M negative individuals = 100M tests

Two thirds of the tests performed are not being counted as cases or individuals who test negative. Either that is due to data being tossed on the ground or that is due to data being de-duplicated. In either case, there is nothing that indicates that multiple positive tests from the same person are counted as separate cases.

I believe it is more accurate to say that everyone who has had both shots will experience a small probability that the vaccine will not protect them against asymptomatic infection or infection with mild symptoms. The vaccine appears to be drive the probability of severe disease or death to near zero for everyone who has had both shots. Of course, with J&J it is one shot.

The question is "can vaccinated people carry the virus." That is apples to apples.

Check out California COVID rules!

Unfortunately wearing a mask became “political” early on in the pandemic. That said, you will likely see people wearing masks during the flu season long after the pandemic has been put to rest. I’ve got use to a mask and personally don’t see it any more an issue than wearing a seatbelt. I remember how people resisted wearing them. According to Google it is estimated 90.7% of adults now use seatbelts. Not required in New Hampshire.

I just read an article that the Pfizer vaccine is covering the variant from South Africa extremely well. The article was linked in another forum and I can't recall which one so, I apologize for not providing a link. I will say I was extremely encouraged when I read that though.

I don't know if my assumption is very wrong but.....I do assume that what ever Pfizer claims about their vaccine, that the Moderna vaccine also must do the same, whether it is good news or bad news. As an example....I assume the Moderna vaccine also protects against the South African variant. Hope I'm not wrong about that.

Word Use
 

I believe that the words "Suggest" and "Suggesting" show that the evidence is not 100% and other possibilities exist,

Did you read the side of the box the masks came in? Masks do not stop the virus. And vaccine, they have no idea how long they last or how effective they are on people. It’s all a crap shoot.

oh boy, got the kool-aid?

My understanding is a fully vaccinated person will develop antibodies only when they are exposed to the virus. The mRNA vaccines make your body recognize the Covid virus then the immune system springs into action and calls up the T cells and B cells which launch a full on attack against the virus and that includes producing antibodies to attack the virus. Those antibodies will not be detected in a blood test unless you are exposed to the virus.

If I have this incorrect, will one of you physicians help me out here? Thanks.

I think you nailed it - that's how I understand it as well. It's also interesting as this month my antibodies are finally gone, after nearly a year. But my exposure was 14 months ago. And I am fully vaccinated.

This from ABC news about those who have contracted Covid in WA........

Of 1.2 million fully vaccinated people in Washington state, 100 have gotten COVID-19 - ABC News

Sorry to hear that have been deaths of fully vaccinated people. The two in WA were over 80 with underlying conditions. I guess these vaccines are not a guarantee that a person can not get severe disease. Sad to hear this news but I still feel very safe.

You hit the nail on the head. And that's the politics behind this guideline that we all continue to wear masks regardless. That the virus can be spread by vaccinated people is a myth to perpetuate mask wearing by everyone, in my opinion.

Otherwise, if vaccinated people stopped wearing masks, so would some unvaccinated people, because we don't know who's received the vaccines and who hasn't. The only way to keep unvaccinated people masked is to say that everyone can still carry the virus and pass it on whether they've been vaccinated or not.

Nothing is ever as it seems.