Herd Immunity?

[alloutoffucks]

The UK approach is for most people to get this virus and try to create herd immunity. Herd immunity is being talked about as if it means that everyone who is still alive will be immune to this virus. But is that true?

I would love the opinions of someone who really understands this.

Because as far as I can see the virus has already mutated. Won't this mean that we just get a version of this virus every so often in the UK just as we get with flu? And like flu it would just continue to kill people who become in later years elderly and vulnerable?
Or have I misunderstood this all?

@Purplewhitelie not according to immunology they don't. Please don't swear at me. I think in 6wks I will still believe the science.
If you are so worried the UK advice is wrong you can self isolate at any point. There is nothing stopping you.

Neurotrash that Newsnight except was fascinating. Thankyou for sharing. Everyone should watch.

The vaccine in cattle is given to prevent respiratory distress and pneumonia.

It has to be repeated due to the mutating virus.

Different virus, different species, different

Yeh it’s soooo different

As I said I just don’t think letting SARS run through the population is a good idea with free reign.

Only a madman would.
WHO agree with me thank god.

It is different. I don't understand why you think all viruses act the same. No one, not you, not the WHO, not the govmt is going to stop the spread of this novel vector in a naive population. Everything the WHO has suggested is to slow transmission NOT stop it. I don't expect you to agree with that but I guess you are one of those people who live in a post truth, post fact world. Good luck with you and remember that although you may not agree with it, science will more than likely save you anyway. It's magnanimous like that.
Have a fun day, remember to ration the loo roll.

I want to slow it so the elderly and sick get the best possible treatment.

I never said stop it.

purplewhitelie I agree with you and the WHO.

Thank you.

Best wishes and good luck to all of you.

I read an article years ago about the older generation who had lived through the 1918 Spanish flu had a greater immunity to the 1997 (I think it was the) Bird flu.

I have since found this National Geographic article which is very informative. Briefly some of it is about vaccines and that if it is just about the lack of exposure they can be more efficient with treatment. It talks about tuning the ingredients for vaccines to people’s ages aiming to arm them against flu strains they have missed. Basically all the children of today would have immunity against a pandemic of a similar strain in the future, ie 2070s.

I also saw part of a show on tv this morning, and the host was talking about during the 1918 Spanish flu in the US. He said in Philadelphia crowds got together to raise money for victims. On the other hand St Louis didn’t allow crowds and people stayed at home, he said it was very confrontational at the time. Even though the flu peaked more quickly in Philadelphia than that of St Louis the death rate was much higher in Philadelphia.

The Chief Medical Officer has said this morning that as well as letting most of our population get this virus, that it will become a seasonal virus like flu. I assume that is because it does mutate. So people will continue to die from this.
And there is evidence emerging that some survivors are left with lung damage.
Herd immunity is bollocks.

@Veterinari
If yousay there is no dormancy in coronavirus, what's going on with feline coronavirus? DCat (ex stray) was diagnosed corona positive after we got him from the shelter and we were told that there was a 5% lifetime risk of it activating and turning into FIP, which is essentially fatal quite quickly. What's going on there if not dormancy?

For those who weren't aware cats get corona, there is no risk of it crossing over to humans.

@WaterSheep
Exactly!
I'm seeing lots of info explaining herd immunity - fair enough, there's lots of folks unfamiliar with the term/idea.
But no evidence that it will work specifically for this virus, so it's a huge risk to take

@Mentounasc

Please point out where I said that coronaviruses generally are not capable of dormancy?
Coronaviruses are an incredibly diverse group and I've been very careful to refer to this specific human corona virus and not generalise across the various ones as they behave very differently depending on which receptors they target. I've also been very careful not to confuse people with animal examples as we're already seeing questions and concerns raised in relation to whether dog and cat coronaviruses are a concern and this is not helpful.

My point is that there's no evidence of dormancy in COVID 19 - it's much more likely that the 2 patients reported had simply not cleared the infection fully. We'd be seeing many more cases if dormancy was a characteristic of this virus. There's certainly no indication that it behaves like a herpesvirus. It also it entirely unlike feline coronavirus which causes disease in relatively small numbers of cats and does not target the respiratory system specifically