Are some people just naturally immune with no previous infection?

[Invasionofthegutsnatchers]

Obviously being double jabbed hugely increases protection against covid. But is it possible that whilst working in a very exposed environment (infant school teacher where over half the staff and 1/3 of the children currently have covid) you can completely avoid it?

I would rather get covid now than over Christmas and in a way just want to get it over with. Obviously would rather not get it at all. Are some people naturally more resistant to infection?

I get every cold going and am constantly ill with respiratory infections so maybe this has increased my immunity?

We've had the same conversation at work, early years. It feels like we're playing 'last man standing'. As you say it's the uncertainty.

3 out of 7 have had it- we all work closely.

One staff members husband had it, another her two boys - both have remained negative.
Two staff members shared a car (5-10mins max) the day before the driver tested positive, other remained clear... but then got it a month later.
We have no way of knowing about the children as parents don't want to test young children and most of them are snotty and under the weather at the moment anyway.

It's all so random.

No. This is a new virus. If you have no previous infection, you have no immunity whatsoever.

I'm sure there was research that said if you had had a different coronavirus previously you might have immunity.

I'm a secondary teacher and I know ive been exposed to it many many times, as I've had positive cases amongst students and colleagues who I have been in classrooms and offices with many times since sept 2020. Not had it afaik.

I'm sure they were going to do research on nhs staff who had been exposed but hadn't caught it to look at prior immunity.

I'm sure at the start they said even with a new virus there are a small percentage that will never get it

I keep thinking DD age 15 is. She has never had it whilst it’s rampaged around her school, all of her close friends have had it, she didn’t get it from her sister who she shares a room with (their beds are very close together) and numerous other contacts. Obviously she could have had it pre testing, but if so no one in the family (6 people) either got it or if so, no one had any symptoms either. Which seems unlikely as I have a weakened immune system and this would have been pre jabs. Obviously I have no evidence for this! He younger brother hasn’t had it yet either despite virtually his whole class having it . Currently 12 in his class off! My other two kids have had it. I work in social care so test at least twice a week since testing started so know I haven’t had it asymptomaticly since testing started.

I'm no expert but I think it's probably more likely you've had it asymptomatically. Certainly asymptotic cases are talked about a lot more than natural immunity without infection.

Having said that, almost everyone I know who's had it (which is probably half the people I know), has a household relative who didn't catch it at the same time. I didn't catch it off my two children. It's so random!

It feels like it's everywhere, and in your case it is!, but it's still only 15% of the population that's caught it so far. An awful lot of people (I'd suggest everybody,) are being exposed without becoming infected. I don't think it's all because of natural immunity, even though I've heard suggested there's some crossover from other coronavirus infection providing immunity.

Count yourself lucky, but don't be complacent!

It is very random - SIL didn't catch it from her DH or dd when they had it despite not distancing from them at all, but got it a few months later from god knows where 🤷🏼‍♀️

Covid has been in our household 3 times. First time only I had it. Second time DH and DS2. Third time DS1 and DS2.

Each time we made vague efforts but didn't isolate or anything and the others didn't catch it.

They were talking about this on R4. Seemingly there are some people who can apply immunity from previous coronavirus infections to the "novel" CV19 virus. Scientists are trying to use this to create broader vaccines.

But also- quite likely you had it asymptomatically, the vaccine should provide you with some immunity, and I was convinced I was invincible (primary supply teacher, mostly sent to schools that are struggling with absence due to high levels of covid within the school!) but i finally did succumb last month.

No, not naturally immune. Just lucky in that they either didn't get it at all, or saw it off befipore it really became perceptions bike.

There are always people who don't get diseases even when it's going round. One example: I didn't get chicken pox any of the times it cut a swathe through my school, and I wondered if I'd been one of the rare few who had had a subclinical infection. Nope - just luck as I got it as a sixth former. It happens with all diseases

I think about this sometimes and have come to the conclusion that there is no virus strain on the planet that everyone has had so why should this be any different , some will some won’t and some won’t even know they’ve had it.

It seems very random. Personal opinion with no scientific basis whatsoever but given you can mix closely with someone with covid and not get it, but then maybe catch it from someone in passing months later, it seems to me that it's genetics but also perhaps what's going on inside our bodies at that point in time ie general wellness, health and ability to fight infection. Illness has always been random though. I've never had chickenpox but one of my children has, yet never gave it to me.

I know this new variant will test any immunity we have as they've said early data shows that you can get it within 90 days of having last had covid. It's more transmissible so I wonder if we'll find that it becomes less random.

I saw an article on the bbc that suggested that if you had a cold virus then that would trump a covid virus trying to invade your system at the same time. You mention catching loads of colds so that may actually help you.

Covid has been in our household 3 times over the last 18mths and I am the only one not to get it. I did lateral flow tests regularly and the mandatory pcr tests to check but always negative.

My SIL was bragging to me that none of the rest of her family caught covid when their DD had it, despite not making the DD isolate at all. I was furious when I heard this as my SIL is a teacher and carried on working. She could have spread this bloody virus around her school infecting the vulnerable with no regard.... They live in a huge house and claim that their lack of hearing at the moment probably helped
prevent the virus spreading -
and aren't they lucky....
I can't stand her at the best of times but this really got my goat....

if you've been in close contact, you've possibly already had it and not noticed.

In our department at work (NHS surgeons) about 2 or three months into the pandemic, and before we knew anyone had caught COVID, everyone antibody tested themselves and about 1/3 of the department showed evidence of antibodies. None of those people showed any symptoms.

@beckypv

I saw an article on the bbc that suggested that if you had a cold virus then that would trump a covid virus trying to invade your system at the same time. You mention catching loads of colds so that may actually help you.

I saw this too, and really don’t know why more attention hasn’t been brought to it.

@Imfedupwithallofthis

No. This is a new virus. If you have no previous infection, you have no immunity whatsoever.

That's not true, there are people immune to at least one strain of HIV.

I had this explained to me but I can only remember the basics so in very simple terms a virus has to infect cells and then make the cell reproduce the virus that goes on to infect other cells.

At this point you do not have the disease and if your body's immune system can 'win the battle' you will not get ill.

Viruses come in various shapes and can only pass through the same shape to get into a cell. If you think of those toddler toys where you post the triangle through the triangular shape but it won't fit through the circle hole.

Our cells are similar, the virus has to 'fit' to your body's cells, some people will be missing one of the shapes so although the virus gets in to your body it can't get into the cells and can't reproduce.

But the virus can be passed on although not as effectively as if you have the disease.

If you look at the village of Eyam that isolated itself during the plague some people did not get the plague, one woman nursed her husband and children who all died, but she didn't because she had natural immunity.

Descendants of the Eyam survivors are often naturally immune to plague.

This is all ignoring the 'normal' response where antigens create an immune response. The immune response can give you some immunity to similar diseases eg flu.

We al know flu changes every year and that's why we need annual jabs. But if you do get flu then you are normally immune to flu for the next 2-3 years as the mutation is similar to the last year.

SIL is a primary school teacher and she’s managed to avoid it so far. DH didn’t catch it from me last month and we even shared the straw of a milkshake on the day I got tested, and shared a bed the whole time I had it.

@whattodo2019

My SIL was bragging to me that none of the rest of her family caught covid when their DD had it, despite not making the DD isolate at all. I was furious when I heard this as my SIL is a teacher and carried on working. She could have spread this bloody virus around her school infecting the vulnerable with no regard.... They live in a huge house and claim that their lack of hearing at the moment probably helped
prevent the virus spreading -
and aren't they lucky....
I can't stand her at the best of times but this really got my goat....

You do realise she had no choice but to go to work don't you?

I secretly think that I am immune to it too op as every time someone at work or kids in my classes get it, I seem to dodge it. Starting to feel as though there are only so many times I can escape it though...on the lead up to Christmas as well!

Yes, scientists think so

www.nature.com/articles/d41586-021-02978-6

I have a friend who has had covid in her house 3 times (she has six kids, and a husband) and never caught it, despite 0 distancing from them. No symptoms and she repeat tested using LFDs each time- no positives.

I’m convinced that DS2 (11) is. Me, DH and DS1 had it back it February one after another so we were all basically in isolation for the entire month. He had lots of PCR’s as we all came down with it but all negative. His entire football team all got it and he didn’t plus most of his class (completely different children to the football team)

I've had a cold most of this term so maybe that's why I've avoided it so far.