What about a person who is vaccinated and then has an asymptotic case? Do they still build up even better immunity? If so, that’s still a great reason to vaccinate.
Individuals who were naturally infected and then vaccinated, or vice-versa, should be well protected. It is unclear if a combination of the two provides better immunity especially when challenged by variants of concern. However, preliminary in vitro evidence (cited in OP) suggests that yes, a combination of the two may confer better short-term protection than either one alone [1].
> The data suggest that immunity in convalescent individuals will be very long lasting and that convalescent individuals who receive available mRNA vaccines will produce antibodies and memory B cells that should be protective against circulating SARS-CoV-2 variants. [1]
Great point, the research should also investigate more about this case, since its get published it will create more negative effect to people who dont believe in vaccine but believe in themselves they will never die because of Covid
Wouldn’t the Hoskins effect [1], or “original antigenic sin”, apply in this case?
> the propensity of the body's immune system to preferentially utilize immunological memory based on a previous infection when a second slightly different version of that foreign pathogen (e.g. a virus or bacterium) is encountered. This leaves the immune system "trapped" by the first response it has made to each antigen, and unable to mount potentially more effective responses during subsequent infections.
Probably not. B cells can return to germinal centers and undergo further affinity maturation.
Hoskins effect does not block this process, but may slow it down. If the original antibody is still effective, no problem.
Now, if the virus mutates to completely escape existing antibodies, we might have a different story. But in that story, the vaccinated are probably better off than the natural infection crowd.
The vaccine targets a highly conserved region of the RBD; it is largely essential to bind to ACE2. Mutation there is likely to reduce binding affinity and thus become less infectious / virulent.
Natural immunity however suffers from the problem that the body builds antibodies against other regions that are more prone to mutation. Some of those mutations have been shown to enhance infectiousness. So you could end up with a scenario where non RBD targeted antibodies enhance infectiousness while simultaneously you have slowed affinity maturation.
