Research shows that Americans still have little immunity to coronaviruses

The data appeared in JAMA’s internal medicine on Tuesday because the country suffers from agile pathogens that show no symptoms or are ill and cannot be killed— 138,000 Americans died Of coronavirus so far. Large swaths of the country are confusing as many communities are debating How to resume school Fight this fall Increased virus-related hospitalization In some cases, it rolls back the limits and resumes a volatile economy.

The new CDC information came from blood samples taken from more than 16,000 people in 10 geographic regions, from New York to Washington, Utah to Minnesota. Samples collected during routine screening, such as cholesterol tests, for individual periods from late March to mid-May were probed for antibodies. Indicates whether the immune system has responded To the virus. Such serological surveys are being conducted nationwide as public health professionals, government officials, and scholars seek to determine the course of the virus and the number of people infected.

The latest results show that the proportion of people with antibodies to the virus is low even in heavily damaged areas. The percentage ranged from 1% in the San Francisco Bay Area in late April to 6.9% in New York in late March. Due to the recent surge of infectious diseases, the proportion may be higher in some areas.

“Most of us are still very vulnerable to this virus and we have a long way to go to control it,” said Jennifer Nuzzo, an epidemiologist at John Hopkins Health Security Center. It was “This study should initiate further discussion that this virus should allow passage through our community to achieve herd immunity.”

Herd immunity It refers to the point in time when enough people are immunized with the virus-either by exposure or because they have been vaccinated-and are much less likely to be transmitted from person to person. Since the vaccine is still off for months or even years, some people have proposed to allow large numbers of people to get infected in order to accelerate the process of collective immunity.

But some people say that idea is dangerous. The threshold of herd immunity to the virus is estimated to be 60-70% of the population, and scientists still struggle to understand exactly how immunity is conferred and sustained.

“This study condemns the idea that the current level of acquired immunity across the population (the so-called herd immunity) poses a substantial impediment to the continued growth of the virus,” at least so far. Brown and Rochelle Warrensky wrote. Infectious Disease Specialist at Massachusetts General Hospital Accompanying editorial.. “These data should also quickly dispel the myth that dangerous practices like the “COVID Party” are a healthy or safe way to promote herd immunity. ”

“Republican” An event in which people come together to infect themselves and develop immunity to the virus that causes covid-19. A 30-year-old man who participated in the “Covid party” because he believed that the coronavirus was made up Died after being infected The New York Times reported that it had the virus, according to the chief medical officer of a Texas hospital. However, he said the account was not independently confirmed.

The new study, which added four additional sites, showed a wide range of underestimations. In Connecticut, for example, the CDC found that the actual number of infections was about 176,000, six times the number of about 30,000 reported in early May. In Missouri, the estimated number of actual infectious diseases is 162,000, about 24 times the number of 6,800 reported in late April.

“The findings may reflect the number of people who were mild or disease-free, did not seek medical care, or were not tested, but may still have contributed to ongoing viral infections in the population.” The research author wrote.

People often don’t know they are infected, so people should continue Take measures to reduce the risk of virus infection This includes wearing face covers outside the home, being 6 feet away from others, frequently washing your hands, staying home when you are sick, etc. Scientists estimate that over 44% of infected people are free of symptoms.

This study Previous CDC survey This included data from the Puget Sound region of New York City, South Florida, Utah, Missouri, Connecticut, and Washington. The new version adds Philadelphia, Louisiana, San Francisco and Minneapolis St. Pole area.

Andrew Noymer, an epidemiologist at the University of California, Irvine, said epidemiologists for some time believe that there are about ten times the total infections in confirmed cases. The assumption was “burned into the cake of current policy,” he said. Nevertheless, he said, “It is always important to back up our working assumptions in real studies.”