elbows
Well-Known Member
Depends on mutation rates. Any acquired immunity is only good for as long as it's more or less the same virus going round that you've already fought off. Also it's not just a question of live or die, some people who survive will have permanent respiratory damage that will make them more vlunerable in future.
Sadly that may not even be the biggest factor when it comes to human immune systems and coronaviruses. I am still not happy with the amount of study of other coronaviruses that was done in normal times, but it appears human immunity to coronaviruses isnt that good, it seems to fade even if the virus hasnt changed in a big way. There will always be small changes to viruses, but coronaviruses dont mutate as quickly as influenza ones because they have a duplication error correction system (which isnt perfect but does reduce the mutation rate). So its a big shame that there seem to be other reasons human immune systems cant maintain immunity against coronaviruses for long periods.