torga
Autocross Champion
Forgot to add, an estimated 50% of Americans already have pre-existing immunity with 0 exposure to the virus or vaccine. So half the country doesn't need to survive it to gain immunity, they already have it.
"In a study of donor blood specimens obtained in the US between 2015 and 2018, 50% displayed various forms of T cell reactivity to SARS-CoV-2. 5 11"
https://www.bmj.com/content/370/bmj.m3563
So 50% with pre-existing immunity against a virus with a .08% mortality rate. But, "muh" feelings > facts.
Interesting article. Seems like some people have memory T cells that have learned to look out for human coronaviruses that cause typical seasonal colds, and those same T cells could also help protect against CoV2 since the virus structures are similar. Not exactly COVID-19 immunity, but helpful nonetheless. Almost like how ginger and horseradish compounds are able to somewhat fit into the receptors on your tongue that recognize capsaicin.
This would explain why some previously unexposed people remain asymptomatic or only experience mild symptoms during an infection, and some end up having an awful week or two... or worse.
Regardless, the jury is still out on whether or not this helpful immunity is enough for the whole population. All of the sources cited in the article state that there's still work to be done and studies to be conducted to find out more about this. Pretty cool, though.
Edit: spelling is hard
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