90 percent have antibodies – but too little protection

Immunization against the corona virus is constantly increasing: almost 70 percent of the population in Switzerland has now been vaccinated against the corona virus at least once.

In addition, there are numerous people who are not vaccinated but have had a corona disease. According to epidemiologist Milo Puhan, between five and ten percent of those who were not vaccinated contracted the virus last fall.

This proportion is likely to have increased significantly again in recent weeks due to the high number of cases. But although the number of people with antibodies could be as high as 90 percent, Puhan calls for vaccination.

Because despite the many people who have recovered, it is not possible to say when herd immunity will actually be achieved. “This is a greatly simplified concept that is not easily applicable in this very dynamic pandemic,” says Puhan.

An immune percentage of 90 percent would not say conclusively how well someone is protected, explains the epidemiologist. “Unvaccinated people who have recovered are less well protected from a severe course than vaccinated people.”

So-called neutralization tests would show how strong the protection against the corona virus actually is. “And it can be clearly seen that an infection does not protect very well and that one should still be vaccinated,” warns Puhan.

How well someone is protected from a severe course also depends heavily on the variant that is currently circulating. “With a milder variant and a high proportion of people with antibodies, you can definitely relax the measures.”

The university professor is correspondingly hopeful for the time after the current wave: “I’m reasonably optimistic given the milder course of Omicron, the higher booster rate and the many people who have recovered.”