Understanding Herd Immunity and the Global Fight Against COVID-19

 All around the globe, COVID-19 has made life miserable in developed countries, so you can imagine how the situation would be in developing and underdeveloped countries. People, in general, have taken the situation very lightly by not following all the necessary instructions. Governments worldwide are now coming to the conclusion that we will have to learn to live with the coronavirus.

Still, the daily count of COVID-19 cases increases day by day, and the question remains: how can we fight against coronavirus while staying at home? How can we boost our immunity while working from home or staying indoors?

The answer lies in working towards Herd Immunity. When most people are immune to an infectious disease, it provides indirect protection to those who are not immune, and this is called Herd Immunity or Herd Protection. An example of this is when 80% of the population is immune to a virus, four out of five people who encounter someone with the disease will not transmit the infection and, in turn, will not spread the disease further. This way, the spread of infectious disease is kept under control. Depending on the infection and its contagion level, around 70% to 90% of a population needs immunity to achieve herd immunity.

Another question that comes to mind is how we have achieved herd immunity for other infectious diseases. Infectious diseases like measles, mumps, polio, and chickenpox were once very common but are now rare because vaccines helped establish herd immunity. For infections without a vaccine, many adults may have developed immunity due to prior infection. However, children can still be affected, as can people with weakened immune systems.

Other viruses like the flu, which is the most common reason for deaths in a country like the USA, with some of the best medical facilities globally, pose a challenge. Hospitalizations in the USA due to the flu in the 2019-2020 season reached 525,000. The reason behind this is that flu-like viruses mutate or change their form over time, reducing the period of protection provided by antibodies generated from previous infections.

Herd Immunity and SARS-CoV-2:

There are two ways to achieve herd immunity: either a large number of the population gets infected, or protection is obtained through vaccine administration.

In the first approach, where a large number of people get infected with the virus, we need at least 70% of the population to be immune to establish herd protection.

In the second approach, where protection is obtained through vaccination, we need to develop a vaccine that can help us achieve herd immunity among a large proportion of the population.

Worst Case: If we do not practice PHYSICAL DISTANCING or take other measures to slow the spread of the virus, it can infect many people in a matter of days, weeks, or months. This will lead to high hospitalization and potentially higher death rates.

Best Case: If we can maintain the current level of infection or reduce it through the efforts of the entire population by following PHYSICAL DISTANCING for at least a year or two, along with other measures advised by health bodies and WHO, until we have a highly effective vaccine developed, tested, and mass-produced.

The main question that arises is whether all countries can afford to pursue herd immunity for COVID-19 and wait for people to build their immune systems stronger by exposing them to the virus until we have a vaccine. The global mortality rate has been seen to be highest among those with existing illnesses, as COVID-19 symptoms worsen their recovery path.

These are challenging times for the world, and a one-size-fits-all solution or approach is not advisable, even within regions of the same state, country, or world. Along with governments, people also need to understand the seriousness of the long-lasting impact this pandemic will have on many countries, as they may not have the capacity to support their populations for an extended period amid economic lockdown.

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