Natural Immunity

 You may have had asymptomatic or very mildly symptomatic COVID-19 and not known it. There are antibody tests and T-cell tests available for you to evaluate your natural immunity and make informed decisions regarding your health.

LabCorp Tests

Quest Diagnostics Tests

T-Detect T-cell test

  • T-Detect COVID (you do not need a doctor’s order for this test, you can purchase it online)

 

One of the first studies evaluating natural immunity was from Israel (“Comparing SARS-CoV-2 natural immunity to vaccine-induced immunity: reinfections versus breakthrough infection”) demonstrating that “natural immunity confers longer lasting and stronger protection against infection, symptomatic disease and hospitalization caused by the Delta variant of SARS-CoV-2, compared to the BNT162b6 [Pfizer BioNTech] two-dose vaccine induced immunity. Individuals who were both previously infected with SARS-CoV-2 and given a single dose of the vaccine gained additional protection against the Delta variant."

There have been many other studies supporting this conclusion, including:

  1. CDC/MMWR study, January 2022: COVID-19 Cases and Hospitalizations by COVID-19 Vaccination Status and Previous COVID-19 Diagnosis — California and New York, May–November 2021

  2. UCLA study, December 2021: A Systematic Review of the Protective Effect of Prior SARS-CoV-2 Infection on Repeat Infection

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Likelihood of breakthrough infection

The Israel study found that those who had received a vaccine WITHOUT having a prior SARS-CoV-2 infection had a 13.06 fold increased risk for breakthrough infection with the Delta variant compared to those with natural immunity (previously infected), even when the infection or vaccination occurred in January or February 2021 (pre-Delta variant).

The increased risk was significant for symptomatic disease as well.

This is NOT an endorsement to deliberately expose yourself to SARS-CoV-2. If you are at high risk, the disease can cause severe illness or death.