Spanish study raises questions on herd immunity to counter COVID-19

According to credible sources, a Spanish study has raised doubt about the feasibility of herd immunity as a method of countering the COVID-19 pandemic. The study, which is considered to be the largest of its kind in Europe and comprises of around 60,000 people, predicts that up to 5% of the Spain’s population has developed antibodies.

For those uninitiated, herd immunity is achieved when an adequate number of people develop an immunity to a virus in order to curb its spread. Around 70-90% of a region’s population is required to be immune to protect the uninfected.

Experts cite that the prevalence of COVID-19 antibodies was less than 3% in Spanish coastal regions, but higher in areas with larger outbreaks.

If reports are to be believed, herd immunity in the country cannot be achieved without accepting the overburdening of health systems and collateral damage of numerous deaths among the vulnerable population. In such cases, focus towards identifying and isolating new cases as well as adopting social distancing practices is imperative for controlling the spread of the disease, experts claim.

Similar studies have been conducted in the U.S. and China which show that most of the population have remained unexposed to COVID-19, even in regions with widespread circulation of the virus.

Professor of Immunology at London’s Imperial College and a spokesperson of British Society for Immunology Danny Altmann was reported saying that the recent findings help in strengthening the fact that a lethal infection can encourage short-lived immunity.

The challenge is to recognize the best vaccine strategies which are able to address such issues and help in stimulating immune, optimal, and sustained response to counter the spread of the disease, Professor added.

In other news, around 239 scientists from 32 countries have outlined an evidence in an open letter to World Health Organization (WHO) stating that coronavirus is airborne and can transmit when people inhale, either through smaller exhaled droplets or large droplets after sneezing.

Source Credits –

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-53315983

https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/world/covid-19-coronavirus-airborne-who-12904090