Quote:
Originally Posted by Sephiroth
[COLOR="Blue"]I used to believe in "herd immunity" but now I understand it a lot better. It's the loose term "immunity" that provides the fertile ground for dispute.
In this Covid context, either of being vaccinated or part of the community who have suffered Covid, apply. In other words you've got antibodies.
The experts can correct me as necessary, but immunity from infection does not occur. "Immunity" from hospitalisation is likely.
Vaccination of a whole population provides "herd immunity" to the extent I've stated above, as does the absence of vaccine but nearly everyone has contracted Covid at one time or another.
The vaccine has reduced hospitalisation and is thus preferred over the alternative.
Something like that.
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I think you consider it as people having antibodies which reduce the chance of infection and the severity of infection.
Getting the vaccine or having had a previous infection should help stop you from getting COVID, if it doesn't then it should stop you from getting a bad case of COVID, if not then it should stop hospitalisations, if not then at least stop you going into the ICU and if it fails there then hopefully it'll stop you dying. It's a certain % decrease in the chances of all these things depending on the individual.
When this started I remember Chris Witty (or one of them) saying that you would get 'waves' of infection but each wave should be better than the last as immunity builds up, that's what we've seen.