In a testy exchange with Kentucky Republican Sen. Rand Paul at a Senate hearing last week, Dr. Anthony Fauci distanced himself from his earlier support of an encouraging COVID-19 immunity theory.
At the hearing Wednesday, Fauci at one point got into an argument with Paul, who argued in part that New York City had developed a degree of herd immunity sufficient to prevent another explosion of COVID-19 cases there.
"If you believe 22% is herd immunity, I believe you're alone in that." "There's also the preexisting immunity of those who have cross-reactivity," Paul countered, "Which is about a third of the public in many estimates ... which would actually get you to about two-thirds." "I'd like to talk to you about that also," Fauci parried, "Because there was a study that recently came out that preexisting immunity to coronaviruses that are common cold do not cross-react with the COVID-19." Fauci and Paul were referring to a burgeoning theory of widespread preexisting COVID-19 immunity.
Some scientists have claimed that possibly a majority of the population has "Some degree" of immunity to COVID-19 due to T cells developed from earlier, milder coronaviruses.
Testifying on Julia 31 before a House coronavirus response committee, Fauci stressed the importance of pursuing that research.
"We're just at the cusp of understanding the importance of this kind of response in COVID-19." It is not clear what motivated Fauci's more pessimistic tone on Wednesday.
A study published in the journal Science in early August suggests that "Variegated T cell memory to coronaviruses that cause the common cold may underlie at least some of the extensive heterogeneity observed in COVID-19 disease." That study was funded in part by Fauci's own NIAID..
Sunday, September 27, 2020
Fauci backpedals on COVID immunity theory he previously touted
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