Are some people just naturally immune to covid?

[Betinamay]

This year I’ve sat next to 2 people at work who were coughing and sneezing and went on to test positive to coronavirus. I’ve been slobbered over by my 2 dc when they had coronavirus and I’ve not made any attempts to socially distance from my dh when he had coronavirus. I have so far not caught it though and been doing 2x week lateral flow tests and pcr tests when family and work colleagues had it so not been asymptomatic as far as I know.

Have you had an antibody test?
Early on there was also some thought that there might be cross-reactivity to other coronaviruses I'm not sure if it was ever proven though. Does anyone know?

No I’ve not had antibody test. Just find it really odd how I’ve had multiple close exposure but never caught it.

You’ve probably had it already, asymptomatically, and are now immune.

Some people had very mild symptoms- but tired, bit sniffly. Easily missed. Possibly you passed it on to your colleagues, not vice versa!

I'm interested in this. Twice Covid has been in our house.

When DS2 caught Covid at school last year, none of us got it.
DS1 has just had it, passing it to me.

Both times, DH hasn't caught it, yet drove my sons to the test centre both times, and then me, all positive, along with sharing the same house.

My DH is convinced he's immune - he had a lot of potential exposure in the early days before masks and distancing, including close contact with colleagues. Thankfully he is vaccinated otherwise I'd take his confidence as foolhardy. It is rife in schools around here and we have lots of exposure via our kids so I hope he's right (or at least the vaccine is doing a good job!)

I've suggested he get an antibody test, he's keeping quiet about that!

There are usually some people who are immune to most diseases/viruses, I’ll be surprised if Covid is any different

Not medically qualified though, don’t know for definite

4/5 in my household had Covid including DH. I slept in the same bed for the duration. Nothing. But right now I have an absolutely stinking not Covid cold and it's miserable.

I've looked after residents who have had covid, have used PPE. All staff and residents have been double vaccinated. Most staff have had covid or have had to isolate due to family having covid. Myself and 2 other staff have never had to isolate during this pandemic.

Still wear masks when out, do lateral flow tests twice a week and pcr once a week.

I wouldn't say I was immuned but still very cautious.

You probably had a little bit of exposure at some point, not enough to make you ill but enough for your immune system to kick in and produce antibodies.

There are usually some people who are immune to most diseases/viruses, I’ll be surprised if Covid is any different

Due to previous exposure, not because they are incapable of catching it.

If you are immune, your immune system recognises the virus and raises antibodies against it. Your immune system only recognises things it has been in contact with before. That doesn’t necessarily mean symptomatic disease.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/world-us-canada-56324050

This was before wide spread vaccination.

I work with the public and have done throughout. (Think supermarket till operator but not that) and folk coughing and spluttering all the time in my office etc and yet I’ve never had it. I can’t believe I’ve not been exposed to it at all in 18 months. I just think I would have been asymptomatic

Yes, there has been suggestions this may be the case. Not sure how much research has been done now, but some time ago there were possibly indications that some people (without antibodies) may have some T Cell immunity, which may even be linked to their immune system being able to recognise COVID from previous exposure to other coronaviruses (common cold). As I said I’m not sure how far down the research route anyone has gone, can only find early reports not recent ones.
This from BBC Future:
Most bizarrely of all, when researchers tested blood samples taken years before the pandemic started, they found T cells which were specifically tailored to detect proteins on the surface of Covid-19. This suggests that some people already had a pre-existing degree of resistance against the virus before it ever infected a human
I wonder if previous exposure to SARS might have helped slow infection rate in some Asian countries too.

I think its possible? I saw a documentary years ago about people who were immune against HIV, had something to do with a gene having mutated during the Black death and was passed down from generations. I believe they started the study because there was a haemophiliac who was getting his blood transfusions in the 80s/90s and the Dr's sealing with him were shocked he had never contracted HIV.

Anyway, I know a few people similar. One man I know, his wife is a nurse working in covid wards, he never got it. She did but he didn't. He went to a party, about 80% of the people there got it, he didn't. He's been testing since tests were available.

One man's wife got it at work, along with 18 other colleagues. His kids got it, he tested negative all the way through

I have worked with covid, been in a house full of covid, been a close contact x 5 and have never gotten it. I have had 4 viruses this year, all negative with pcr. I m still cautious though.

Yes! I was reading a article in one of the medical journals.

There is a particular cold virus that was doing the rounds. They've discovered that the people who were infected with it have natural immunity to covid. Apparently the spike proteins are very similar and the theory is it's primed the immune system to recognise and destroy covid.

Really interesting read.

We have a lovely family locally who hasn't had covid but have been in direct contact. I'm talking nursing infected people without masks level of contact. None of them has had covid. I was always joking they had super blood and should donate it for medical research.

Maybe they all had the cold virus referenced in the article I read. I don't know if I can find the link but it's a good read.

Some people have really robust immune systems and are able to quickly react against viruses, without even producing antibodies. Being young and healthy, good diet and plenty of sleep helps here.

I don’t know I never contracted chickenpox from my siblings or my children

I am never sick

However
I am riddled with autoimmune diseases !

I’m just aggressive inside and out 😂

@lnsufficientFuns

I don’t know I never contracted chickenpox from my siblings or my children

I am never sick

However
I am riddled with autoimmune diseases !

I have autoimmune conditions too and haven’t tested positive for covid throughout this whole thing, despite DP and his kids all having it. None of my DCs have had it either. None of us have had cold sores either and I’ve read that some people just don’t get them even if exposed to someone else who does (both XH & DP get them). I’m hoping my super immune system that is so enthusiastic it attacked my own body is keeping covid at bay!

I don't know but my DM claims she has never had flu, even when her entire class got it and were off school in the sixties.

I’m probably speaking too soon - but I’ve been in schools throughout the pandemic - none of my family is vaccinated and we’ve never had Covid.

But I usually catch other stuff pretty badly. Not loads of bugs but enough. So I don’t feel super human. We’ll see.

I keep meaning to get vaccinated but because I’ve been so exposed to the virus. It’s all around us here a lot of the time - I haven’t seen the point.

Now double vaccinated people are getting it so badly I see even less point being vaccinated.

I've tested positive to covid three times (NHS) and had no symptoms whatsoever, not even a headache. I seem impervious to it.

I'm fully vaccinated and boostered.

Think I am. Have had 2 negative antibody tests so never had it asymptomatically either.