General Discussion
Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsWhat It Would Take for Herd Immunity to Stop the Coronavirus Pandemic
The concept of herd immunity is at the heart of global vaccination efforts and discussions about next steps in fighting the Covid-19 pandemic and bringing back economies.
For the pandemic to stop, the coronavirus has to run out of susceptible hosts to infect. Herd immunity occurs when enough people in a population develop an immune response, either through previous infection or vaccination, so that the virus cant spread easily and even those who arent immune have protection.
To reach herd immunity for Covid-19, public-health authorities estimate that around 60% to 70% of a given population would need to develop an immune response to the virus. Some epidemiologists and mathematicians now say herd effects might start to kick in before that point, at perhaps closer to 50%, suggesting potential protection could be achieved sooner.
Still, infectious-disease experts adamantly warn against the notion of trying to reach herd immunity to the coronavirus without a vaccine, as the costs on human life would be staggering and it likely wouldnt happen soon, if at all.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/health/medical/what-it-would-take-for-herd-immunity-to-stop-the-coronavirus-pandemic/ar-BB19dL7k?li=BBnb7Kz
bottomofthehill
(8,261 posts)Shermann
(7,358 posts)Beartracks
(12,761 posts)... on the economy, and that all of the survivors' long-term health issues wouldn't either.
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Initech
(99,915 posts)That's essentially what happened with influenza.
LisaL
(44,962 posts)How does that work?
LisaL
(44,962 posts)surviving. I don't think covid provides long lasting immunity.
So it's unlikely herd immunity could ever be achieved with covid.