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I wrote this because I& #39;m fascinated by the emerging immune v not-immune-to- #COVID19 social divide. But many readers are expressing skepticism about the premise, that people who recover from infection with the new virus are likely immune to it for a time. https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/11/us/coronavirus-survivors.html">https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/1... https://twitter.com/MickiMaynard/status/1248966010113269761">https://twitter.com/MickiMayn...
So here& #39;s is some of what I learned in my reporting about that, and welcome others who are actually experts to correct or join in. First of all, here& #39;s a great explainer by my colleague @apoorva_nyc, which I linked to in my story. https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/25/health/coronavirus-immunity-antibodies.html">https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/2...
Re: virus mutating, yes viruses do mutate to avoid immune system defenses, which is one reason I note that no one knows how long immunity will last. But fwiw @trvrb who is tracking new strains suggests here it& #39;ll take years, not months, for this virus. https://twitter.com/trvrb/status/1242628564324761606">https://twitter.com/trvrb/sta...
Other readers ask why they should believe people who have recovered are immune even to the existing strains. Here& #39;s a great thread from @TheMenacheryLab on why the new coronavirus is not likely to "defy the normal rules of immunity.& #39;& #39; https://twitter.com/TheMenacheryLab/status/1246865058468114437">https://twitter.com/TheMenach...
One reader asks: "Don& #39;t we need some survivors to volunteer to be reinfected in order to prove their immunity?" Here& #39;s the study I linked to in which monkeys infected with the new coronavirus produced neutralizing antibodies and resisted re-infection. https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.03.13.990226v1">https://www.biorxiv.org/content/1...
And here& #39;s a thread from @jbloom_lab on a study of a different human common-cold coronavirus in which human volunteers were infected, developed antibodies, and, after being re-infected a year later, only 1 in group of 8 showed cold symptoms. https://twitter.com/jbloom_lab/status/1246547876525658112">https://twitter.com/jbloom_la...
Some readers cite the recent study from Shanghai researchers, summarized here, which found ~30% of patients failed to develop potent antibodies after Covid-19 infection. https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3078840/coronavirus-low-antibody-levels-raise-questions-about">https://www.scmp.com/news/chin...
Immunologists I talked to said it& #39;s possible that test was not sensitive enough to detect the antibodies and/or, a different type of immune response, from T-cells, took care of it for them - doesn& #39;t mean they& #39;re not immune.
But, back to the actual theme of my story, one thought it was possible that there may be three categories in the & #39;immunity divide.& #39;& #39; i) those who haven’t had COVID ii) those who have and are likely immune and iii) those who have but are not immune, for reasons so far unknown.
It& #39;s worth saying that many former Covid-19 patients I talked to face stigma from people who knew they were sick. Yet the health officials they talk to (and who I talked to) call them the "safest people in the country.& #39;& #39;
Obviously it& #39;s important to be super-cautious about any behavior that could possibly spread the disease. But also important to look at the evidence for immunity in the immediate aftermath of a viral infection.
Right now, as @christykarras says in my story, “It’s like it’s up to us to figure out how to be.” https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/11/us/coronavirus-survivors.html">https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/1...
