This June 7, 2020 article for The Guardian looks at the various possible reasons why COVID-19 has devastated some populations more than others. Some of the more important factors raised by this article include cross-immunity among coronaviruses, age, sex, socioeconomic status, and COVID-19 national response policies. 

The article also offers a number of resources that support the idea of cross-immunity (where exposure to coronaviruses that cause the common cold offers some immunity against SARS-COV-2). 

Editor’s Note: This article highlights the major role that a healthy immune system has in controlling the disease burden of the new coronavirus. It also shows us that perhaps there are more people who are immune to SARS-COV-2 than we realize. This could explain why despite the novelty of SARS-COV-2, a majority of those who contract the virus do not develop symptoms.

Moreover, the idea of cross-immunity also points to the possibility that natural immunity will over immunity over the long term compared to vaccines [research has shown that the coronavirus mutates just like the regular flu, read The Coronavirus Has Mutated: Here’s Why You Shouldn’t Panic, New Variant Of SARS-COV-2 Does Not Make Patients Sicker].

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