(01-17-2022, 08:22 PM)Carey Wrote: "Re-thinking herd immunity"
Thanks for the article. The whole thing's a moving target, isn't it?
As per my less than explicit use of the term.. my expectations fall along the lines of omi is only the latest in a long line of still to come variants; and although they will be spawned they will, with time, have less and less of an audience, in that with each infection, we assume, comes so much immunization. And, more specific to the moment, omicron has made, is making, a large contribution in that way. So much so that at the moment I assume every enclosed space, every commonly shared indoor environment, is saturated with aerosolized covid. And, further, those that inhale it will, regardless of each's specific outcome, build antibodies.
Though to be clear, I have yet to hear/read anything about how robust the antibodies that are stimulated by omicron are. And, as well, we can't speak for what kind of new fangled variants might get thrown at us in the future..
But still, my point is that because covid is so prevalent right now, there is, loosely at least, a chance we can expect some lessoning of the threat in general, community wide, once this surge passes. Not to say we all will be magically immune, just that there will be far fewer active infections and fair fewer candidate to spread what infections there are. And, as such, a much smaller viral load in our shared atmosphere.
Not to say I would abandon my masks, but I sure would like to back down from a full face respirator just to pop into KTA.
And, btw, my point, thoughts, are all predicated on the assumption that the unvaxx'd have won the day. Because the Supremes have declined the opportunity to codify science into our public health policies we're left to the whims of big business, and it doesn't look like they are rushing in to fill the void. So, we will, pretty much for sure, have some version of covid around for a long time to come.