Thread by @fitterhappierAJ

As we are hit with yet another Covid wave, I want to reflect on the promises of herd immunity by infection, with special consideration of claims that pre-existing cross-reactive T cell immunity to other coronaviruses was aiding in achieving the herd-immunity threshold

These two circumstances are not unrelated. The reason we are having constant reinfection with sars cov 2 is because we gave the virus the keys to the kingdom: enough replication to enable evolution to escape key parts of our immune systems

In 2020, I warned that resting hopes of herd immunity on T cell immunity was perilous and a bad idea. I said it would enable mutations and evolution of the virus to the extent to facilitate reinfection. Now, this is our reality.

https://twitter.com/fitterhappierAJ/status/1280612703359455233

In 2020, the prevailing thought was that pre-existing T cell immunity was contributing to a herd immunity threshold. I claimed it was absolutely in no way doing this. They also thought that SARS 1 immunity was lifelong so then sars cov 2 would be similar.

https://twitter.com/fitterhappierAJ/status/1280612703359455233

Because people thought immunity would be durable, there were many who wanted people to catch sars cov 2 and get it over with. This sentiment was described by Jonathan Howard's book "we want them infected" blog.petrieflom.law.harvard.edu/2023/04/25/we-…

The quote is from a US government official who described how they wanted kids to be infected to reach a herd immunity threshold which would halt viral transmission. Again, I claimed this was folly, as kids were not seroconverting and would thusly reinfect

https://twitter.com/fitterhappierAJ/status/1302161448643235842

Evidence also emerged that sars 2 had a fibrotic effect on the heart, and special attention was given to football players who were infected. Trump was concerned about reelection, so aided a campaign to negate fears and proclaimed, "I brought back football"

Now in 2023 nearing 2024, reinfections are our reality and our life expectancy is dwindling. Meanwhile, because workers are getting disabled more often and are needed, retirement age is being increased. nature.com/articles/s4156…

In my opinion, this is the biggest health policy failure in the 21st century. The USA is not the only guilty country here, other countries aimed to "take it on the chin" and believed herd immunity would be achieved

It is also the failure of every immunologist who believed or allowed fruitless rhetoric of herd immunity by infection to parade around unchecked. You failed to anticipate sars cov 2 reinfecting and becoming the third major cause of death. cdc.gov/media/releases…

All I hope is that in the future we will not reward and pursue human rights infringements such as the facilitation of infection of the youth with a novel coronavirus. Unfortunately, there are those in academia where it is argued that infection with sars cov 2 is good for kids.