Hubby is retired military (Go, Navy!), and neither one of us are getting the jab. The VA has sent him several letters and emails, encouraging him to get the vax. He talked to his PA about doing a blood test to check for antibodies since more and more doctors and medical professionals are saying natural immunity after contracting Covid is better than the vaccine. She told him the VA won't allow her to do it. When he asked why, she said they would rather he get the jab. Not much of an answer, I know, but her hands are essentially tied.
Fast forward a few weeks. Hubby went to a Fast Pace facility for a minor injury. The NP who works there lives in our neighborhood. They got to talking about Covid stuff, and he told her about the VA refusing to do an antibody test. She said, "I'll do it!'
Five days later, the results showed he still has antibodies from when we both had Covid last September. I decided to do the same, and my results were positive for antibodies as well.
I've been an RN for over 30 years. My understanding of most colds, flu, etc. is that you usually keep antibodies for that particular strain for 2-3 months, tops. The fact that ours are still in our systems for over a year makes me wonder if the theory about lifetime immunity to Covid may be true.
Has anyone else been tested for antibodies?
Your body has an expansive but defined number of antibodies it can create. By looking for which ones became active in people who have survived the KungFlu, we know which antibodies to look for the confirm natural immunity.
Think of it this way. There are a limited number of ways the basic proteins that make up everything can be put together. Only a certain few of those will react with your body. Your body has immunity "patterns" planned and ready to go for those specifically. Every potential invader that could interact with you will either react to those antibodies or will be unable to harm you, no exceptions. When your body detects an invader, it "figures out" which antibodies it needs and copies them (sometimes several of them) in large quantities. This is immunity.
The vax (supposedly) sets off the antibody process for one of the proteins in SARS-COV-2. A real exposure will likely set off the process for all of the proteins in it. Variants tend to drop or mutate proteins around. This is why variants dodge the jab but not natural immunity.
I am not a doctor. I had this explained to me like I was 5. I hope I explained it well enough.
2 Side notes:
This is also why only natural immunity is considered as valid for people to donate convalescent plasma for things like Regeneron.
This is also why traditional vaccines always contained full virions and were never mRNA before. Partial or Leaky immunity is not satisfactory to protect a population or generate herd immunity, especially if you vaccinate during a pandemic (which encourages variants).
Well said! Thank you.
You both are missing the big picture point, a point that has been talked about quite a bit here…
There is no way to distinguish Covid or any of the variants. You had something, obviously (some sort of flu), but there is no way to distinguish if you had the supposed SARS COV2 (whatever BS it’s name is) aka Covid-19.
You have antibodies to something. There’s no way to say with any certainty it is covid antibodies. It has never been isolated. The specific tests for covid are a sham.