Superhuman Immunity To Covid-19 In Some Individuals, New Studies Find Evidence: NPR

[appalachiablue]

- NPR, Sept. 7, 2021.

Some scientists have called it "superhuman immunity" or "bulletproof." But immunologist Shane Crotty prefers "hybrid immunity." "Overall, hybrid immunity to SARS-CoV-2 appears to be impressively potent," Crotty wrote in commentary in Science back in June. No matter what you call it, this type of immunity offers much-needed good news in what seems like an endless array of bad news regarding COVID-19.

Over the past several months, a series of studies has found that some people mount an extraordinarily powerful immune response against SARS-CoV-2, the coronavirus that causes the disease COVID-19. Their bodies produce very high levels of antibodies, but they also make antibodies with great flexibility — likely capable of fighting off the coronavirus variants circulating in the world but also likely effective against variants that may emerge in the future.

"One could reasonably predict that these people will be quite well protected against most — and perhaps all of — the SARS-CoV-2 variants that we are likely to see in the foreseeable future," says Paul Bieniasz, a virologist at Rockefeller University who helped lead several of the studies.

In a study published online last month, Bieniasz and his colleagues found antibodies in these individuals that can strongly neutralize the six variants of concern tested, including delta and beta, as well as several other viruses related to SARS-CoV-2, including one in bats, two in pangolins and the one that caused the first coronavirus pandemic, SARS-CoV-1...

- Read More,
https://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2021/09/07/1033677208/new-studies-find-evidence-of-superhuman-immunity-to-covid-19-in-some-individuals

[Throck]

1. Sounds so X-Fileish

Grab them and dissect them.

[appalachiablue]

2. Fingers crossed. This reminds me of reading about

rare individuals who have immunity to the plague since the 1660s England, and HIV/Aids. Fascinating.

[EYESORE 9001]

3. This is only tangentially related and totally anecdotal

In the early ‘90s all the first responders where I worked got vaccinated for hepatitis B. After the series of three shots was complete, blood was drawn after a period of time (don’t remember whether it was two weeks or two months) to see whether we had made antibodies. The nurse told me that a woman (my second cousin, coincidentally) and I had roughly ten times more antibodies than anyone else among the 30-40 people who got vaccinated. I wish now that I had pursued those findings to see what could account for such a vigorous response from my immune system.

[appalachiablue]

7. Interesting, good for you. Can you ask a med. person about

more testing for antibody levels?

[Hugh_Lebowski]

4. Strangely you have to read way down to discover that this whole thing is in regards to

People who had COVID ... and then got the vaccine.

Hence 'hybrid' immunity.

[PortTack]

5. There were ppl that survived the Black Death because they had some special immunity

It’s been proven thru DNA and genealogy that traced these individuals to their ancestors that survived it.

[appalachiablue]

6. I've read some this, #2, esp. EYAM, the English village

https://www.bbc.com/travel/article/20151026-the-sleepy-village-that-stopped-the-black-death

[3Hotdogs]

8. My friend's mother, now 97, tested positive for covid, times last year.

No symptoms. This was before vaccine was available.

[appalachiablue]

9. That's astounding- how many times did she test positive?

[3Hotdogs]

11. 3 times.

No symptoms, just found during regular testing of the residents.

Her daughter was informed after each positive test.

[wnylib]

10. I wonder if it works in reverse.

If a person did not have covid prior to getting vaccinated, then had a breakthrough infection after vaccination, would there be the same kind of hybrid immunity afterward?