According to a new study published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Wednesday, both immunization and prior infection offered protection against coronavirus infection and hospitalization, but incidences were relatively lesser among those who had recovered in comparison to individuals who had been inoculated.
The findings are likely to feed those who believe natural immunity is just as effective as vaccination and who refuse to get vaccinated because they have previously been infected with coronavirus and recovered.
The research does, however, come with a number of drawbacks, which the CDC was keen to warn out. It was done in California and New York prior to and during the time when delta was the prevalent variety, but the data ends in November before omicron took over.
It was also done before the majority of participants had gotten extra or booster doses of the coronavirus vaccine.
It found that persons who were unvaccinated and had never been infected with the coronavirus were at the highest risk of infection and hospitalization, whereas those who had been infected before, with or without immunization, had the best protection.
While both immunization and past infection have been demonstrated to confer protection, the CDC emphasizes that immunization is the only safe strategy to provide long-term protection.
Viruses are continually evolving, and various varieties might have distinct properties, according to the CDC. So, whereas past infection has been found to protect against delta, this may not be true for omicron.
Two prior studies in the United States, for example, indicated that immunization provided better protection against coronavirus infection than past infection during periods before delta was present.
The research did not contain information on the severity of the original infection, and therefore does not indicate the risk of severe illness or mortality from a coronavirus infection, according to the CDC. Coronavirus has killed roughly 130,781 people in California and New York by November 30, 2021.
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