How can being sick with COVID-19

in the past protect you in the future?

TEACHER’S KEY

Check your understanding

1 What is the difference between COVID-19 and SARS-CoV-2? Can you think of other such pairs?

SARS-CoV-2 is the virus that causes the disease COVID-19. One is a pathogen, the other is the disease
Answer

that people develop. HIV causes AIDS, influenza viruses cause the flu, some bacteria cause TB, Candida
fungi cause yeast infections (thrush), etc.

2 In what ways can you get protection against COVID-19 (or other diseases)?

You can get vaccinated if a vaccine is available. Or you can get infected and develop protection against
Answer

future infections. There are other ways to prevent infection – avoiding people who are sick, wearing
masks, washing hands, etc.

3 What factors impact COVID-19 natural immunity?

Time and variant. Natural immunity protects very well against older variants for at least 10 months. Past
Answer

infection doesn’t protect that well against Omicron (the most recent variant of interest as of September
2022), and it declines faster over time.

4 We compared studies on two groups: people who did not have the vaccine but who had COVID-19 and
people who did not have the vaccine and had no COVID-19 infection. Why do you think that is?

We wanted to know how natural immunity (with no vaccination) protects people from getting infected
again. The people we compare them to shouldn’t have any form of protection – neither from a vaccine
nor from natural infection. This is called a control group.

As a class or group, carry out your own statistical analysis. How many people in your class got COVID-19?
5 (You could also include all of your parents and siblings if you like.) Did they get reinfected? How many
were vaccinated? Did they get infected? Write the answers in a table and calculate the percentages. What
was better at protecting all of you – vaccines or past infection?
Answers will vary.
Answer

At least how long does the protection against severe

infection by the Omicron variant last?
Answer

Strong protection (above 80%) lasts at least 40 weeks (10 months).

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