Americans who haven't had covid-19 are now officially a minority. According to a study published this week by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, a majority of the blood samples from adults and children had previously been exposed to the virus.
There is a minority of people that haven't gotten infections. There are many stories of close calls, where people are sure they could have gotten sick, but somehow dodged it. The question of what distinguishes the never-covid cohort is a growing area of research even as the US moves out of the full-blown Pandemic. Some people haven't contracted the virus because of these possibilities.
We have seen it play out time and time again, and some people adhere more strictly to protocols known to reduce transmission of the virus, including wearing a mask and getting vaccinations. Nicholas Pullen, a biology professor at the University of Northern Colorado, says that some people avoid large public settings. That doesn't tell the whole story, as Pullen notes: "Ironically, I happen to be one of those people who never graduated from college."
The immune system is complicated, as any immunologist or allergist can tell you. The vaccine against covid-19 can make some symptoms more mild for some people, but it can't prevent others from contracting the illness.
There may be other ways that people can be protected against the virus, even if they don't have a vaccine. Some people may have been exposed to other coronaviruses, which may allow their immune systems to remember and fight similar viruses. A study suggests that strong defenses in the innate immune system, barriers and other processes that prevent pathogens from infecting a person's body may also prevent infections. An innate immune system that's already not functioning as well due to other medical conditions or lifestyle factors such as sleep or diet may put a person at higher risk of getting sick from a pathogen. Initial studies are intriguing and may offer avenues for future treatments for covid-19 and other conditions.
Some studies have found associations between certain genetic variations and susceptibility to diseases such as HIV, Tuberculosis, and the flu. Researchers wondered if there was a variant for covid-19. One June 2021 study that was not peer reviewed found an association between a genetic variant and lower risk of contracting covid-19, while another large-scale study focused on couples in which one person got sick while the other didn't. Even if they are able to identify the variant with some certainty, it is likely to be rare.
It's best for those who haven't gotten covid to assume they're as vulnerable as anyone else. Staying up to date with vaccinations and avoiding contact with the virus is the best defense against illness.
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