July 28, 2020

Herd immunity means about 60% of society builds up antibodies and stops the infection. Innate immunity means resistance exists before exposure to a disease.

In addition to evolved resistance, innate immunity includes exposure to other diseases which broaden resistance to similar diseases. Getting flu could increase resistance to the Corona virus. And getting a mild form of the Corona virus as a "cold" could increase resistance to the more virulent Corona that creates the pandemic.

The immune system develops a lot of broad resistance to protect against similar infections which do not have to be exactly the same, which increases innate immunity for newly encountered diseases.

There is a tendency by some scientists to narrowly restrict the concept of innate immunity, often going back to the difference between plants and animals. In doing that, they remove a large part of developed (acquired) immunity which is generalized and provides some protection against diseases which a person has not previously had.

Interferons provide that type of immunity. They are not as narrowly designed as antibodies; so they can attack and prevent anything similar including newly encountered diseases. In that manner, interferons are the first defense against viral diseases. And for that reason, interferons do not disappear rapidly as antibodies do.

Antibodies die down in about six months to prevent an accumulation of proteins in the blood. Interferons do not. Since interferons are more generalized, not as many types are needed and they can persist longer without overwhelming the circulatory system.

It takes several days for antibodies to form after encountering a disease for the first time; so there needs to be a defense that is more rapid than antibody formation. Acquired, innate immunity does that in going beyond evolution of resistance.

Rationalizers pit the word innate against the word acquired and claim they are opposites. They are not opposites, because biology creates both. Acquired immunity creates an innate defense against similar diseases which have not yet been encountered. Using words to define science is rationalizing, because it leaves out too much. Leaving out too much is rationalizing.

The flu virus produces innate immunity, because it has been circulating widely through the human society for a long time. Herd immunity is not as important with the flu viruses, because it burns out easily due to innate immunity. However, the flu virus keeps changing its surface proteins to evade antibodies. Therefore, it can infect persons several times; but it gets weaker each time.

The Corona virus has not been circulating very much through the human society; it is basically an animal virus. So it has not created much innate immunity, and then herd immunity becomes more important.

Innate immunity is created by less-specific proteins than antibodies in the blood. The less-specific proteins are created inside cells where the most important reactions occur to defeat viruses, and some of those less-specific proteins move out of the cells (as interferons) and into the blood to provide instantaneous protection, even when the antibodies have died down.

It takes several days for antibodies in the blood to be created or ramped up, while the interferons are instantaneously present for stopping viruses or reducing their severity. But previous infections are needed to create the less-specific proteins and increase innate immunity.

There are still assumptions (July 28, 2020) in the peripheral media that the Corona virus should be allowed to do what the flu does. Trump still appears to be operating on that assumption. The new Corona virus attacks the lungs, heart and kidneys with extended effects; the flu normally does not. If the flu were attacking the lungs, heart and kidneys, there would be drastic measures taken.

Know-nothings can't understand why scientists are so extreme over the Corona virus and not the flu, as if every disease were the same and they all disappear in the background. Trump assumes the whole thing is a scheme to prevent him from getting elected again. Any disease that attacks the lungs lights off the health experts. It's not a political scheme.

Some persons assume that a type of Corona virus produces the common cold, so we all have had it. Not so. It is basically an animal virus and not everyone has been infected by it.
 

Evolution Biology Of The Corona Virus