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How COVID-19 immunity works right now
By Alice Park
Senior Health Correspondent

With much of the world vaccinated, boosted, and/or recovered from COVID-19, I’ve been wondering what that SARS-CoV-2 immunity really means right now. How does immunity from vaccines stack up against infection-derived immunity, and does the combination of being vaccinated and infected provide a double dose of protection?

Researchers don’t have all of these answers yet, but they are beginning to learn some basic truths about COVID-19 immunity. Here’s what they know so far:

  • Vaccines tend to generate higher levels of antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 than natural infections.
  • Antibodies evolve just as the virus does, so over time, antibodies become better at recognizing and blocking viruses.
  • A different part of the immune system, built on T cells, becomes more robust over time, and this response can protect against serious disease—even that triggered by newer variants of the virus.

READ THE STORY.

 
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One Last Read
Telehealth startups are leaking your sensitive health data

It’s reasonable to believe that the laws that keep your personal medical information secure at your doctor’s office are also ensuring the same level of protection when you use telehealth or online services.

But, as a joint investigation by STAT and The Markup found, telehealth companies often act as middlemen, rather than providing care themselves—which means the information those teleproviders collect may not be protected by HIPAA.

 

Read More »

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Today's newsletter was written by Alice Park and Elijah Wolfson and edited by Mandy Oaklander.