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According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), by the end of January, 43.4 percent of Americans had antibodies to the virus that was triggered by infection, not by vaccination, leaving approximately 57 percent of the population who have not been infected at all.
Doctors and researchers have not been able to pinpoint why exactly some Americans were more susceptible to the virus, while others managed to skate by two years without getting infected.
“People may have conceivably -- but we can't define them yet -- different capacities to ward off viruses or bacteria,” infectious disease expert William Schaffner said to WebMD. “We can't define that in 2022 medicine, but it could be.”
With mask and social gathering mandates slowly being lifted, states are still reporting a plunging number of cases (down 51 percent in two weeks), virus-related deaths (down 30 percent), and COVID-19 hospitalizations (down 44 percent).
Officials noted that even one who has not tested positive for COVID-19 is still at risk, and if they begin to display symptoms, they should get tested for the virus.
“We have to stay tuned," Schaffner added. "There may be a recommendation in the future to get a booster annually or something like that. We need to be open to those down the road."
Nationwide, the US is still reporting 37,685 new COVID-19 cases, 33,671 hospitalizations, and nearly 1,400 virus-related deaths daily.
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