Waning immunity - is now the best time to catch covid after all?

[nordica]

Reading about waning vaccine immunity and rising infection numbers on the news this morning has made me wonder if it would be best to just "get it over with" and catch covid now, within a few months from my 2nd vaccine?

I've been careful throughout but it feels inevitable I'll get covid sooner or later with all restrictions and mitigations gone (like isolation for household contacts). My age group (late 30s) is unlikely to be offered booster shots anytime soon, if ever, and if vaccine protection is waning, then I'd just be more at risk getting covid a year down the line, wouldn't I? Especially as they say actually getting covid acts as a kind of a booster and also that re-infections are likely to be milder as the body builds up more immunity from previous infections.

I have been wondering the same thing, and it would also potentially be protective against new variants - some of this is explained in below

www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-58270098

Its tricky as on the other hand, the way it impacts people is unpredictable so seems sensible to still try to avoid infection if you can...

Vaccine efficacy waning is normal and expected. It still gives a high efficacy than, say, the yearly flu vaccine and is still bloody good.

Likely efficacy wanes as you are exposed to covid and your immune system staves it off again and again , we all need to expect to catch covid multiple times in our life. Much like flu or a cold it'll just be one of those things that keeps you off work for a week.

Vulnerable likely will get boosters, as with the flu shot (again).

I’m not looking forward to covid as had some long covid symptoms from vaccine but agree that I feel like it’s better to get it now rather than later. What I don’t know is whether if I catch it with no symptoms or don’t even test positive if my child brings it home that would boost my immunity. Presumably if my antibodies are sufficient to neutralise virus before it becomes a positive infection that might not boost my immunity very much?

wait? long covid from vaccine? is there evidence of this?

It’s tricky isn’t it. Throughout this I felt lucky to have avoided it. Now I’m double vaccinated so very low risk. I think we all need to get our heads around the fact it’s going nowhere so at some point we’ll all get it I guess?

Now would be a good time. I feel at the end of summer vitamin D levels are high and I am less run down. Also less likely to get other colds/flu around the same time. Last jab was end of June..

I was being very careful just before our holiday and on holiday. I’m definitely more relaxed now. I would hope though that’s there’s more to the vaccine than antibodies and we’ve all developed some t-cells too.

Personal view is that I’ve always seen the virus as more attractive than the vaccine. For my age group, it’s on the edge and the only thing that really makes it one or the other is the risk of transmission.

Best time to get it would have ironically probably been in March ’20 when there was no faster spreading variant and everyone was locked down anyway.

To be honest, you should look at your own risk factors. While it may seem like worth getting out of the way, it’s probably not worth seeking out deliberately. If you’re going to get it lightly, then it doesn’t really matter when it happens. But if it turned out the other way, you might perhaps wish you’d stayed safe. In a few months there may well be a sufficiently strong wall of herd and related immunity that you’d never actually get -19 itself.

Don’t forget that immunity comes from related viruses also. So just because you don’t catch it now doesn’t mean you won’t get a boost in future perhaps because of the winter flu, or some cold a child passed on.

I think that the first cohort of over 80s who had the pfizer jab in December with second jab after three weeks should be very cautious now and understand that they have waning immunity.

I had it last April. My immunity was gone by August, according to blood tests. I’m double vaccinated now but I expect that’s waning too, second jab was in May I think.

Getting Covid doesn’t give you longer immunity, in my experience.

I've had two jabs and now have covid. While I feel a little shitty I'd way rather have it now than in November. I'm considering it my booster shot.

Really weird - none of my close contacts at all have tested positive. Not even my OH who I spent the night with the night before I tested. It's a strange beast.

I know what you mean OP. I felt run down and just wanted it to be caught and therefore the waiting over.

But then I thought about that. Many have had covid twice. There’s no rule about how severely or often you get it = how badly you get long covid.

I’m therefore avoiding it like the plague as long covid would strip me if my earning potential and thereby my home as I wouldn’t be able to pay my mortgage on dss money.

Sod that. I’m staying safe.

Anyone over 70 or those adults who are CEV and had their second vaccine in the early spring should now consider adapting their behaviour as if they have not been vaccinated, as a precaution. We have no ‘real world’ proof yet of what immunity looks like heading in to autumn for those who were vaccinated earlier.

Hopefully the government start communicating this sooner rather than (too) later otherwise we’re sleep walking into a disaster.

@HesterShaw1

I've had two jabs and now have covid. While I feel a little shitty I'd way rather have it now than in November. I'm considering it my booster shot.

Really weird - none of my close contacts at all have tested positive. Not even my OH who I spent the night with the night before I tested. It's a strange beast.

Same here. I was pinged earlier this week and now have confirmed Covid. The person I was with at the event (who was also pinged) has had a negative PCR. It is always possible I got it somewhere else but seems likely it was the thing we both went to. I feel very stupid for letting my guard down but thankful that I was double jabbed as so far my symptoms have been mild.

Out of interest do you know how long ago you caught it and how many days past testing are you? My one worry is that the worst is yet to come.

Out of interest do you know how long ago you caught it and how many days past testing are you? My one worry is that the worst is yet to come.

I'm not of the school of thought that says thank goodness I was jabbed, otherwise I would be much worse. I just think I was unlucky and my jab didn't work! After all, there's a certain percentage that don't work. I have felt pretty poorly the last couple of days, but only in a shitty stinking cold kind of way plus a real lightheaded weakness. I felt really sinesey and tired on Monday morning, which developed into sore throat and runny nose so I did a LFT on Tuesday morning which was obviously positive. Stupidly I hoped it was wrong so I did the PCR on Tuesday midday, and had the notification that night. It's mainly been like a bad cold, and I feel a bit better this evening. But I think the smell and taste will be a long time coming back, and the tiredness feels like it will last a while.

I don't really know where I caught it, but I live in Cornwall so it's pretty rife at the moment.

I just find it really odd that my boyf didn't get it from me on Sunday night :o He had Pfizer and I had AZ so maybe that's it.

Oh well, was always going to happen. And they say that Delta is mostly just like a grotty cold for most young(ish) healthy people anyway.

And I must say I find it very touching how often the NHS are calling me and texting me to check on my welfare

Personally, I would advocate against trying to get it! I am double jabbed. Last jab was late May. I tested positive on 6 August and am still unwell.

Me too hester, and I've had to SI twice!!

@JS87

Long Covid from the Jab??? 🙈 Ok

I was terrified of covid but after I had it I actually felt a sense of relief that we had got it ‘over and done with’ and I feel more relaxed now.
The problem is that no one knows what symptoms they’re going to get. Thankfully mine were comparatively mild, as were my friends who got it but none of us had the same symptoms.
I know there’s always the risk of getting it again but I would hope it wouldn’t be worse. Especially as I’ve been taking better care of myself now and boosting my vitamins and trying to lose weight.

DH is doubled jabbed has covid and has been unwell for nearly 2 weeks now. Had low.oxygen on at least one day but has avoided hospital.

Every time you are exposed to Covid after vaccination it will theoretically boost your immunity. Continuing lockdowns and social distancing will lead to a faster drop off of immunity. The point at which we opened up was a deliberate move to maintain immunity of the vaccinated population. Otherwise it was a pointless exercise.
I had Covid in Feb 2020 and due to my job was probably exposed regularly throughout the year. DS came back from Boardmasters with Covid ( I drove him back) I have felt a bit under the weather the last week but have not tested positive. So hopefully my immunity to Covid is still pretty good.

Hearing loss, tinnitus, dizziness, insomnia.
All symptoms that people get after covid and are termed long covid (and other viruses and vaccines too). It’s only a small percentage of people who get vaccinated but one of the scientists who thinks they have a cytokine/ chemokine signature for long covid sees a similar pattern in patients with post vaccine symptoms.

Anyway my point was that having developed hearing loss and tinnitus after the vaccine I’m not particularly keen on getting covid which also causes hearing loss and tinnitus.

@TakeYourFinalPosition

I had it last April. My immunity was gone by August, according to blood tests. I’m double vaccinated now but I expect that’s waning too, second jab was in May I think.

Getting Covid doesn’t give you longer immunity, in my experience.

Antibodies aren’t the full immunity story. Just because your antibodies have waned doesn’t mean you aren’t necessarily immune.

He is 47 and a healthy weight. Reasonably fit and vegetarian.

Antibodies aren’t the full immunity story. Just because your antibodies have waned doesn’t mean you aren’t necessarily immune.

Do tell, @bumbleymummy.

I have long Covid.

Trust me -you do NOT want COVID.

My life bares little resemblance to before Covid, and I’m not alone.