Covid-19: Is Manaus the final nail in the coffin for natural herd immunity?

Covid-19: Is Manaus the final nail in the coffin for natural herd immunity?

That’s the title for this article from the British Medical Journal.

My wife, Karen, used to practise as a nurse many years ago and, as many of my friends think that I’ve lost the plot, poor Karen bears the brunt of my musings regarding SARS-CoV-2 now that I’m on my little soap-box.

I mentioned the fact that a massive second wave was occurring in Manaus as a result of a new SARS-CoV-2 strain, despite the general scientific community viewpoint that this should not be happening because the first wave was so catastrophic that the general population ought to have accrued sufficient antibodies to confer “natural herd immunity” on them.

Karen’s quite sensible response was “Well, that’s because they didn’t have the vaccine!”

But, whilst that makes sense with regard to the first strain and wave, it also implies that antibodies – naturally acquired antibodies – aren’t necessarily effective against a second strain.

So, I’m going to take Arlene Foster’s advice, from yesterday’s Telegraph newspaper, with a pinch of salt.

“People need to take the AstraZeneca vaccine to leave lockdown in the rear view mirror, Northern Ireland’s First Minister Arlene Foster has said.”

Tell that to the poor people in Manaus.