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It’s easy to assume that if one spouse or partner gets COVID-19, the other is all but fated to get it, too.
But that’s not always true. While studies have shown that the transmission risk of COVID from an infected person to a household contact is common, the risk varies widely. A recent report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention showed secondary transmission among close household contacts was 53%. That’s a high rate of transmission, but it also means that almost half of household contacts did
not get COVID-19.
Even if the couple is exposed to the same sick person, one might dodge the infection entirely, or may be completely asymptomatic. While health experts are still trying to figure out why some are more susceptible to the virus, there are a few common reasons for this difference in experience.
Written by Dan Gray on January 9, 2021 Fact checked by Maria Gifford
Experts say achieving herd immunity to COVID-19 will be a step-by-step process that will rely heavily on how many people get vaccinated. Luis Alvarez/Getty Images
While the rollout of COVID-19 vaccines is encouraging, a small percentage of Americans have been vaccinated so far.
Most models predict that a majority – 60 or 70 percent – of people in a population need to be vaccinated to achieve herd immunity.
Herd immunity without vaccinations is possible, but it would cause millions of people to die as well as overwhelm the healthcare system.
The path to normalcy will be gradual, but positive results will start to be seen as more people are vaccinated.