Is there any chance some people are just immune to Covid?

3,640 Views | 21 Replies | Last: 5 yr ago by eric76
Its OK to be White
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7:41p, 7/25/20
With all the information on herd immunity thresholds and what-not, I keep seeing the term "susceptible population" which seems to imply that there is also a "non-susceptible population". Do you think for whatever reason we will find that some people just will not be able to contract Covid for whatever reason?

I'm thinking of something like Matt Damon in the movie contagion.
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Windy City Ag
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8:30p, 7/25/20
AG
There has been a lot of noodling on this. My recent anecdotal experience makes me wonder.

One client of mine, a woman in her late 80s, tested positive and had very few symptoms. She has now had two negative tests.

Another family friend.. a guy is his mid 80s . . . .tested positive and has had zero symptoms and has now quarantined for thee weeks and has finally tested negative several times in a row.

But then I hear horror stories of healthy, younger folks being laid low.

There is some underlying logic there and I hope it is figured out soon.
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et98
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9:06p, 7/25/20
AG
There have been many reports of one spouse getting Covid and still kissing and sleeping in the same bed with the other one who never tests positive. So yeah, I think some people are just immune.

Additionally, I have never had the flu...at least I haven't since 1989. In the post 30 years, I've gotten the flu shot twice. Perhaps I'm just asymptomatic, but I honestly just think I'm immune.
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texican08
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9:10p, 7/25/20
AG
I was asymptomatic but have antibodies. My wife and I didn't change our habits when I would have had it. She doesn't have antibodies. Who knows.
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mccjames
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In reply to et98 • 9:43p, 7/25/20
AG
I am very similar have had the flu twice in my 53 years, have not had flu shot since I was 18. I get colds every now and then, a few sinus issues but that is about it.
Easy come, Easy go
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AgsMyDude
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In reply to et98 • 9:56p, 7/25/20
AG
Woman I know had a decent course but overall still minor and no hospital trip, Etc.

Husband and daughter who both live with her never had a symptom and both tested negative. Seems absolutely wild given how transmissive this thing is.
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fightingfarmer09
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10:29p, 7/25/20
It is a certainty that there is a significant population that has immunity to Covid.

Lost in the beginning was the hysteria of a "novel" virus that we had no immunity to, however our evolutionary paths have built extremely robust immune systems. This was NEVER the case if someone was actually paying attention to the science.

The question is not if we have immunity, but rather is it 10% or 50% or more of the population. We will also see a subset of the population that is extremely susceptible to this virus.

I mean come on! This is literally Genetics 101 natural selection process in real time. The trigger for the immunity could be a type of exposure to the common cold given a specific genetic response, a bottleneck event in the past, or any number of contributing factors.
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agsalaska
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6:22a, 7/26/20
AG
My dad caught COVID in New Orleans in March and it whipped his ass. He wasn't hospitalized or anything but was just sick. My mom was with him the entire time in New Orleans, the drive home, and the next two weeks and never caught it. She is negative for antibodies.

The doctors in their small town were really surprised when she tested negative and actually tested her again.

She is assuming she is immune to it.
I don’t say this in a braggedocious way. But it’s true. I’ve been right about everything.

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HotardAg07
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In reply to agsalaska • 8:13a, 7/26/20
AG
agsalaska said:
My dad caught COVID in New Orleans in March and it whipped his ass. He wasn't hospitalized or anything but was just sick. My mom was with him the entire time in New Orleans, the drive home, and the next two weeks and never caught it. She is negative for antibodies.

The doctors in their small town were really surprised when she tested negative and actually tested her again.

She is assuming she is immune to it.


Per the South Korean study that looked at infection rates in different age groups including kids, they found that the family infection rate was 11.5%.

As for the question of the OP, there is a lot of discussion and science emerging on why some people may not get infected or may not get very sick if infected that has to do with pre existing immunity of some sort (among other genetic factors). Keegan posted a study that's currently under evaluation that would lend some credence to the idea that herd immunity threshold is much lower if this susceptible population is reduced.

The thing I can't wrap my head around, that some other scientists have echoed, is that there are areas in the world that have experienced 50-70% seroprevalence, such as Bergamo, Italy. Maybe places like that are just outliers, but they are outliers that deserve to be explained/investigated.

I have been hoping from the start that this cross immunity existed for large portions of the population and that herd immunity could be achieved with 10-20% infection. It would be awesome news.
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Kceovaisnt-
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10:21a, 7/26/20
AG
I have a similar experience. My girlfriend and I went to a weekend getaway with a few of her friends. One was a nurse who cares for COVID patients. No one was symptomatic but on Sunday after getting back, her nurse friend became ill. She got a test the next morning and had positive results by Tuesday and we both isolated right away. My girlfriend developed symptoms the day prior and we got PCR tests that Wednesday. I was negative, she was positive. Her disease course had fever, body aches, malaise, loss of appetite, loss of taste and smell, bad headaches, and occasional cough. O2 sats remained normal throughout despite some labored breathing for one day. By Thursday, her main symptoms resolved but that's when the loss of taste and smell started. These senses came back by the following Tuesday.

I had long-standing close contact with her up until Tuesday night. After that point, we distanced as best we could but I had to take care of her, which required frequent checks on her, bringing food, drinks, etc all while cooped up in my apartment with her for 12 days.

IMO, I have to have had multiple exposures instances with at least two people and never caught it or I am asymptotic. I don't think I can get sick from this.

It is possible that I was too early getting my PCR test but I am following up With another test Monday (10 days after my last) to facilitate returning to work. If negative, I will get a serological test.

Either way, I am glad not to have gotten sick given the circumstances, and that my girlfriend had a mild case. Moreover, relieved that we did not pass it onto others.
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bay fan
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In reply to HotardAg07 • 10:41a, 7/26/20
S
Using chicken pox as an example, many people of my pre vaccination generation by all logic should have caught it year after year as it worked it's way through our school friends and siblings yet somehow never did.

I assumed I was immune yet in my late 20's, with an 8 week old baby, exhausted and newly back to work I got sicker then I had ever been in my life (that still holds true). It is no exaggeration to say I could hardly get out of bed, literally thought I must be dying to the point I was actually thrilled 3 days in when I woke up with pox explaining my illness!

I suspect if someone is worn down and susceptible they may catch it even after closer contact does not result in it. That probably in some cases explains the severity of the illness as well.
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Bonfired
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In reply to bay fan • 11:08a, 7/26/20
AG
bay fan said:
Using chicken pox as an example, many people of my pre vaccination generation by all logic should have caught it year after year as it worked it's way through our school friends and siblings yet somehow never did.

I assumed I was immune yet in my late 20's, with an 8 week old baby, exhausted and newly back to work I got sicker then I had ever been in my life (that still holds true). It is no exaggeration to say I could hardly get out of bed, literally thought I must be dying to the point I was actually thrilled 3 days in when I woke up with pox explaining my illness!

I suspect if someone is worn down and susceptible they may catch it even after closer contact does not result in it. That probably in some cases explains the severity of the illness as well.


Similar story here.

My sister and I (both in our 50s now) managed to elude getting the chicken pox as young people despite being in public schools our entire school lives.

We both got a rip-roaring case of it in our 20s a couple of years apart...sickest I'd been in my life to that point, and I think my sister might say the same. I lost 8 pounds in a week, and couldn't shave for about 3 weeks.

I didn't think I was immune, just fortunate to that point.

I've been lying reasonably low since March...I tend to be a homebody, anyway. If I do have some sort of immunity to Covid that I don't know about, that'd be fantastic. I don't much think that's the case, though.
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Demo_Slug
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11:12a, 7/26/20
AG
I'm thinking that the asymptotic people are "immune" . Their body has the T cells to fight off serious issues. And there are theories, that this immunity is from previous contact with other corona virus.
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jenn96
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11:55a, 7/26/20
AG
I wonder too about some of the theories that TB vaccines (And others like MMR) could prevent COVID, or keep it very mild. Lots of random people in the US have updated or unusual vaccines from the military, travel, etc. if there's any truth to that theory it could help explain part of why some people just seem less susceptible.
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AgRebel08
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12:01p, 7/26/20
AG
As a child I was sent to multiple houses to play with kids that had chicken pox, never got it so I got the vaccine.

Had a full blood work up done a few years ago and I have no antibodies....now I have to avoid kids and people with shingles as i dont want to catch pox. I do wonder if I have some weird immunity to it.

Sister is the same with TB. She is a nurse and has gotten TB shot 4x never has antibodies present. Has to have a waiver from her hospital to work.

I wonder has anyone not had the flu shot gotten covid? I ask because I have never had the flu shot and I have never gotten the flu. Wondering if there is some correlation to covid.
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plain_o_llama
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3:47p, 7/26/20
There is little that is simple and straightforward about this virus. One needs to consider that there is evidence that the virus is not uniformly transmissible.

The fact that someone doesn't get infected by exposure to an infected spouse or family member may say something about their susceptibility. Yet it may speak more about the infected person's ability to transmit the virus. The oft discussed super spreaders are a thing. It is not out of the question that most of the spread comes from a small subset of the population.

Add a seasonal susceptibility variable, a cross-immunity variable, a few co-morbidity variables and maybe you get the confusing picture of "immunity" that we see.
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jopatura
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In reply to AgRebel08 • 4:50p, 7/26/20
AG
AgRebel08 said:
As a child I was sent to multiple houses to play with kids that had chicken pox, never got it so I got the vaccine.

Had a full blood work up done a few years ago and I have no antibodies....now I have to avoid kids and people with shingles as i dont want to catch pox. I do wonder if I have some weird immunity to it.

Sister is the same with TB. She is a nurse and has gotten TB shot 4x never has antibodies present. Has to have a waiver from her hospital to work.

I wonder has anyone not had the flu shot gotten covid? I ask because I have never had the flu shot and I have never gotten the flu. Wondering if there is some correlation to covid.


I have only gotten the flu shot when pregnant, have gotten the flu twice that I know of in my life. Last time was nearly 10 years ago at this point. Kids get the flu like clockwork every year even with vaccinations and I never catch it from them. I do get little ***** colds from the kids 4-5 times a year. Nothing strong enough to knock me out, but definitely gives me a cough and stuffy nose for a week.
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NJaggie
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6:23p, 7/26/20
AG
A 55 year old diabetic friend of mine tested positive and had no symptoms. Is going for a retest this week. Surprising to me.
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Dad
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12:23a, 7/27/20
AG
I know of some people that drove 10+ hours in a car with someone actively sick with Covid and they never got it. I can't imagine not getting exposed in that situation.

I predict that those people will never get sick with covid.
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oneeyedag
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5:38a, 7/27/20
My anecdotal input from Risk and Safety guy with medium size city.

Public Works guy loses taste and smell on a Friday. Been at work all week. Three in a double cab, working PW stuff in close proximity. He only gets sick.

Second PW guy gets mad allergies, but says he doesn't have any allergies. He and previous guy don't wont together, but go into same building. All those quarantine, work closely with their respective crews.

All total I quarantine 14 guys for 14 days.

First and second tests positive, second guy says whatever I'll take my 14 days and does honey do's. I check on them both every other day. Second guy is mowing his grass and taking care of his cows and pasture work, says I've had worse hangovers. First guy is like, this is it-thanks for the time off.

All total out 2 positives, 12 quarantines no one else gets the rona.

EMS has transported well over 100 ronas zero infections. EMS started out using P100 masks then went to N95, now at surgicsl for patients and themselves. PD respond and assist EMS and arrest and transport multiple rona positive subjects...zero positives
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swc93
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10:34a, 7/27/20
AG
Lots of Typhoid Mary's
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JamesE4
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In reply to Its OK to be White • 12:31p, 7/27/20
AG
TDekker said:
With all the information on herd immunity thresholds and what-not, I keep seeing the term "susceptible population" which seems to imply that there is also a "non-susceptible population". Do you think for whatever reason we will find that some people just will not be able to contract Covid for whatever reason?

I'm thinking of something like Matt Damon in the movie contagion.
Yes. I have actually been suggesting that for months.
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eric76
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In reply to et98 • 2:07p, 7/27/20
AG
et98 said:
There have been many reports of one spouse getting Covid and still kissing and sleeping in the same bed with the other one who never tests positive. So yeah, I think some people are just immune.

Additionally, I have never had the flu...at least I haven't since 1989. In the post 30 years, I've gotten the flu shot twice. Perhaps I'm just asymptomatic, but I honestly just think I'm immune.
The last time I had the flu, I got better and then got sick again but with somewhat different symptoms. I assume the second time was an opportunistic infection.

A couple of weeks later I started to see signs (but didn't know what they were at the time) of hypothyroidism. I'm think it likely that what I assume was an opportunistic infection destroyed my thyroid.

Now I get a flu shot every year and take Vitamin D daily.
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