Israel has been instrumental in researching COVID-19, the vaccinations and variant strains. A new study released suggests natural immunity from the COVID-19 infection could be stronger protection than the vaccination against the Delta variant.

The Daily Mail reports “Recovered patients are 13 TIMES less likely to be infected than those who have Pfizer jabs, Israeli study suggests.” The research compared unvaccinated individuals who had recovered from the virus to those who had received both doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine.

“They found that participants with natural immunity were up to 13 times less likely to contact Covid than those who were given two jabs” writes Daily Mail. In addition, another benefit natural immunity showed to have over the vaccine is time. Booster shots are being approved as vaccine efficacy appears to diminish over time.

 

Daily Mail reports of the Israeli conducted research:

Researchers found, in this instance, likelihood of infections at 13.06 times higher among immunized individuals and they were 27 times more likely to experience symptoms.

People who had recovered from the virus and had been vaccinated were even less likely to have a breakthrough infection. 

The team notes that there are several limitations. Firstly, the study only examines protection offered by the Pfizer vaccines and does not address other approved vaccines or extra protection that a third dose provides.

Secondly, while the study controlled for factors such as age, sex, and region of residence, there might be differences in behaviors of the groups – such as social distancing and mask wearing – that weren’t accounted.

If you’ve tested positive and isolated for weeks with significant disruption, how likely are you to get tested again as opposed to thinking “I’ve already had it so it’s surely something else”?’ he tweeted.

‘Are people who decline vaccination, or people with previous infection, less likely to get tested?’ 

However, if the findings are confirmed by peer review, it could have implications for 

‘This study demonstrated that natural immunity confers longer lasting and stronger protection against infection, symptomatic disease and hospitalization caused by the Delta variant of SARS-CoV-2, ‘ the authors wrote. 

‘Individuals who were both previously infected with SARS-CoV-2 and given a single dose of the vaccine gained additional protection against the Delta variant.’