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The phrase herd immunity comes up often in coronavirus discussions. Those who toss around the term, including some politicians, say its a way to potentially end the pandemic. But herd immunity is actually a complex concept that health experts say is often misunderstoodand, focusing on hand washing, social distancing and mask wearing remains the best way to stop the spread of COVID-19.

But what is herd immunity? In simple terms, population (aka herd immunity) is one that works through achieving a threshold immunity at the population level that is able to cut the transmission chain and cycle of a given infectious disease, explains Kamran Kadkhoda, PhD, with the Laboratory Medicine Department at Cleveland Clinic.

In herd immunity, an individual might not be fully protected from the coronavirus or other illness, but the overall population immunity is high enough to protect most of the population, he says, It would very much depend on the duration of immunity either obtained through natural infection or vaccination.

Theres so much talk about herd immunity these days because people are tired of COVID and looking for a way out, Kadkhoda added, but, most people dont quite get the concept because of a lack of public education and lots of misinformation.

So, we asked Kadkhoda and other experts to get into the details about herd immunity, its relationship to a potential COVID-19 vaccine and more.

Herd immunity is the idea that the infection can no longer spread within the population once a certain percentage of the population is immune to infection, says James Wantuck, chief medical officer of telehealth company PlushCare. The thinking is that even though not 100% of the population is immune, there arent enough people left to spread it for the infection to sustain itself, meaning it simply disappears from the population over time, he adds. This is how we have eradicated some infections, like smallpox, through a mass vaccination program.

The idea is popular because it offers a light at the end of the tunnel, Wantuck says, The important point here is that herd immunity requires the vast majority of the population to be immuneand, this means that people either had the infection and survived or that they received a vaccine.

Herd immunity conversations too often center on letting enough people get infected and not waiting for a safe, effective vaccine. This view can be harmful, though, says Kim Kilby, a family and preventative medicine physician and regional medical director of MVP Health Care, It misses the problem that with millions of people infected, we strain our medical resources and create potential rationing, while guaranteeing that many more people will die from the disease.

Scientists are learning new things about the coronavirus every day. And, still too little is known about immunity and COVID-19, Kilby says, We do not know if natural infection results in long-term or even short-term protection from future illness; we do not know if a person who recovers from COVID-19 can get infected again later and spread the virus without showing illness.

Most studies on coronavirus and immunity have been small and not produced consistent results. Though, there are reports of people getting re-infected after having coronavirus.

Related: Does a Negative COVID-19 Test Mean You Can Hang Out with Family and Friends?

Generally, scientists believe the virus that causes COVID-19 acts like many other viruses that have been studied extensively, Wantuck explains. So, once infected, your body produces antibodies that fight off the virus and prevent re-infection. The antibodies wane as the virus leaves your body, but the immune system remembers and could produce a defense if youre exposed to the virus again. But, no one is sure how long immunity could last.

Recently, Pfizer and BioNTech applied for emergency authorization from the FDA for their coronavirus vaccine. And, other drug companies have reported that their vaccines have efficacy rates above 90%.

Safe, effective vaccines are a must to achieve herd immunity. Theyll help the immune system generate a protective response to coronavirus, without serious disease consequences, like long-term disability or death, Kilby says.

Related: Everything You Need to Know About a Possible COVID-19 Vaccine

But a vaccine alone isnt enough. People need to actually get vaccinated when one is available. When people choose not to get vaccinated for a serious infectious disease, they put themselves, their familiesespecially those most vulnerable like children and grandparentsand their communities at risk, which puts an additional strain on medical resources, Kilby adds.

Depending on how effective the vaccine is and how long it protects you, there are different thresholds of the population that need to be immunized, Wantuck says, Mass immunization and diligent public health work in contact tracing and outbreak containment would be needed to make herd immunity a possibility.

It depends on how you look at it, Kadkhoda says. Herd immunity is based on the idea that once a certain percentage of the population is immune to infection, it can no longer spread. So, does that mean purposefully infecting people could achieve herd immunity? Most experts agree: thats a bad idea.

Creating herd immunity through natural infection is very dangerous, as it risks the health and well-being of individuals, communities, and puts a dangerous strain on our medical resources, Kilby explains. Frontline health care workers are already facing burnout and fatigue from the effects of the virus.

Millions of people could die and others would unnecessarily suffer from the virus were trying to protect against, Wantuck adds, and most of herd immunitys biggest supporters are misinformed or misguided about the concept.

Related: How Long is Coronavirus Contagious?

A recent article published in the Journal of the American Medical Association and co-authored by Dr. Anthony Fauci said low-tech interventions, like wearing masks, social distancing, hand hygiene, limiting crowds and gatherings, testing and contract tracing are still the most effective ways of fighting COVID-19.

It could take a while for a vaccine to be rolled out. When it does, it should be viewed as an additional measure for stopping the spread of the coronavirus, not a replacement for these low-tech tools, Kilby explains.

When safe and effective vaccines become available, people should embrace their use and get vaccinated as soon as possible, she says.

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For now, the best approach is to worry less about herd immunity and focus more on the advice that health officials keep emphasizing, Kadkhoda says. Social distancing, mask-wearing, and frequent hand washing are common sense and tried and true scientific ways of protecting us from germs, COVID, among others at least until we have a vaccine that works effectively and durably, he explains.

Next, read about the risks of hanging out indoors without wearing a mask.

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What is Herd Immunity? Can It End the Coronavirus Pandemic? - Parade

This entry was posted on November 28, 2020 at 6:59 am and is filed under Preventative Medicine. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed. |