If you have never been infected with COVID, are you a sitting duck?

I have a mission to store the most valuable items in my home: my fiancé who has never had a COVID. With the amount of good luck and healthy horror, he survived his first pandemic year without getting sick. Protected by the J & J vaccine and Moderna booster, he evaded the infection when I got sick last November and was infected with the coronavirus throughout a cramped New York City apartment. For some reason, he ducked the waves of Omicron during the winter, which seemed like everyone was sick. And in the past few months, he has emerged intact from crowded weddings, indoor dinners, and flights across the country.

At this point, I’m worried about how long it will last. People like him-I think they are “COVID virgins” -are becoming a rare variety. Just yesterday, President Joe Biden thinned their ranks by another person. The Institute for Health Metrics, as of the beginning of this month, 82 percent At least one American is infected with the coronavirus.Some of those people may not yet think They have never been infected with a virus. Asymptomatic infections may occur and mild symptoms such as allergies and colds may disappear. Many people are facing second, third, and even more, now fighting BA.5, the most contagious and vaccine-dodging sect of Omicron to date. the 4th Infection. The reality can make the straggler, who has avoided infection for two and a half years, feel destined to get sick sooner or later. At this point, is COVID’s virgin just a sitting duck?

Read: Of course, Biden has a COVID

Basic math certainly doesn’t look promising. Most people currently infected, apparently in the minority, seem to be ill for the first time. Nationally, there is no good data on who is infected with COVID, but it is the first infectious disease in New York. Seems to be happening Five times the rate of reinfection. Part of the reason why people who are not infected with COVID are considered to be at high risk of infection is a viral attack no matter how they are infected, given all other factors such as vaccination, age and behavior. This is because there is no increase in immunity brought about by. The bump may be fleeting. As such, this suggests that these people are actually sitting ducks and that infection is unavoidable except by crouching in complete isolation.

The experts I spoke to agreed that the risk of infection is currently high. UCLA epidemiologist Robert Kim-Farley said, “As the number of highly infectious variants increases, it becomes increasingly difficult to avoid infection.” “But that’s not inevitable,” said Rick Bright, CEO of The Rockefeller Foundation’s Pandemic Prevention Institute, who was less confident. “Honestly, the way the virus keeps changing may be unavoidable,” he said.

Still, they are at risk for those who do not have a COVID, especially BA.5. ReIt infects so many people. “Inevitably, I don’t know if they’ll be called sitting ducks, but I think we’re all more vulnerable,” Bright said. Unvaccinated people are still much more vulnerable, especially to more serious consequences. But even in the past in the pandemic, it is difficult to know exactly why vaccinated and boosted people got sick and some did not. Scientists are still investigating the role of other factors. Genetics May Protecting people’s immune system Those who do not have a COVID.

Read: Is BA.5 a “wave of reinfection”?

Nevertheless, all experts argued that COVID virgins should still try to avoid infection. Above all, they need to be up-to-date on vaccination and boost immunization. According to Kim Farley, after these layers of protection have been installed, they still need to be cautious, especially in crowded indoor environments, but unless they are medically vulnerable, they are more preventative than anyone else. There is no need to take.

The guidance for this group is similar to that for everyone, but to some extent, mainly because immunity from infection is protective. BA.5 is, for example Reinfect people Those who were previously ill, and sometimes even those who had an earlier version of Omicron just a few months ago. At this point, the infection a year ago may not be immunologically significant, let alone two. “People shouldn’t rely on previous infections because they aren’t as effective as previous vaccinations,” said Kim Farley. And “hybrid immunity” is thought to occur when a person becomes ill and is vaccinated, or vice versa. Adequate protectionNow that so many reinfections are happening, “that kind of claim may be challenged,” Yale University epidemiologist Albert Ko told me.

The ultimate problem for those who see themselves as sitting ducks is that this is the exact attitude that epidemiologists do. No I want us to bring it. It can encourage “why bother”. Attitude, denying all public health efforts to stop infection and discouraging personal efforts to protect oneself.In other words, it promotes attractive COVID fatalism as it provides relief from the daily anxieties and behavioral compromises of a pandemic life by assuming that infection is a problem. whenNo If.. This concept can be liberating for those who have never been infected. Perhaps part of the reason it’s barely left.Many people already “Well” attitude For COVID, make sure that the fear of infection does not interfere with their lives.

Even in the second half of the game, you should try to avoid getting a COVID if possible. Having to take precautions can be frustrating after months of a pandemic life, but even if vaccinated and boosted, getting sick can be very unpleasant. I have. There is a long risk of COVID, but those who escape it can feel terrible for days, if not weeks, Bright said. These infections usually do not lead to hospitalization or death, but they do not even walk in the park, especially for the elderly and immunocompromised people. And as the COVID keeps changing, you definitely want to prevent a second or third infection.With the consequences of repeated infections their Still not likely to cause long COVID or other health problems Known.. And, of course, the COVID 101 creed is still true. Even if the infection is mild, it can be spread to people who can exacerbate the infection.

The harsh reality is that the number of COVID virgins will continue to decline unless the virus shows signs of waning. Restructuring the way we talk about getting a COVID will greatly reduce stress in tackling this reality. Instead of worrying about the possibility of a virus, focus on what to do when the virus does. Vaccinated and boosted individuals may be ducks sitting on the crosshairs of the infection, but they probably will not die or become seriously ill, especially if they are young and healthy. “That’s what we care most about,” Ko said. Those who are not ill need to remember that they have already won. Vaccines, in parallel with currently available treatments, mean that it is much better to be ill now than it was a year or two ago.

When I told my fiancée that I would probably get COVID, but I shouldn’t get COVID, he described the situation as “Kafkaesque.” Indeed, these are absurd and illogical times. But at least focusing on what is within our control helps us regain a little sense. If not completely quarantined, people may not be able to do much to avoid the coronavirus forever, but there are still many things they can do to avoid the worst.