Immunity passports

hmmm

The Germans are planning on doing large-scale testing of their population, and issuing "Immunity Passports" to people who have previously had the disease. These people can go back into the workforce, and their lockdown would be effectively lifted.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/mar/30/immunity-passports-could-speed-up-return-to-work-after-covid-19

This all sounds very sensible, but leads to all sorts of interesting implications, some quite dystopian. Anyone up to speculate on what this world of immune vs uninfected looks like?

mariaalice

hmmm wrote: »

The Germans are planning on doing large-scale testing of their population, and issuing "Immunity Passports" to people who have previously had the disease. These people can go back into the workforce, and their lockdown would be effectively lifted.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/mar/30/immunity-passports-could-speed-up-return-to-work-after-covid-19

This all sounds very sensible, but leads to all sorts of interesting implications, some quite dystopian. Anyone up to speculate on what this world of immune vs uninfected looks like?

My husbsnd was just saying that in the future Immunity passports could be a thing before anyone travels outside europe and becaue of this there will be less travell outside europe and the US.

robinph

hmmm wrote: »

This all sounds very sensible, but leads to all sorts of interesting implications, some quite dystopian. Anyone up to speculate on what this world of immune vs uninfected looks like?

Not a very good one.

Will be useful to know who is immune and the numbers so that you can then target the vaccinations, but doing that kind of thing before a vaccine is available will be a disaster. Will cause a massive spike in infections as people all go in search of being infected just so that they can get back to work.

Charles Babbage

robinph wrote: »

Not a very good one.

Will be useful to know who is immune and the numbers so that you can then target the vaccinations, but doing that kind of thing before a vaccine is available will be a disaster. Will cause a massive spike in infections as people all go in search of being infected just so that they can get back to work.

Or if you need to be immune to go on holiday so you get yourself infected in good time, but it so happens you work in a shop.

Post vaccination a certificate that you were immune or vaccinated would be useful and people who refuse the vaccine should continue to be restricted.

hmmm

robinph wrote: »

Will cause a massive spike in infections as people all go in search of being infected just so that they can get back to work.

I could absolutely see this. Particularly people who have limited savings.

Could we see jobs requiring an immunity passport? If there is a non-discrimination law, how does that work?

If we have large numbers of immune, could we see less effort to find a vaccine? And what happens those who are in lockdown because they haven't been exposed?

ednwireland

https://www.ft.com/content/6a8d66a4-5862-4937-8d53-b2d10794e795

germans already doing 50000 tests a day just under a million tests already done

robinph

Charles Babbage wrote: »

Or if you need to be immune to go on holiday so you get yourself infected in good time, but it so happens you work in a shop.

Post vaccination a certificate that you were immune or vaccinated would be useful and people who refuse the vaccine should continue to be restricted.

Yep, having to be certified to be free to travel and go back to work can be useful, but only once there is widespread vaccination.

Just with measles outbreaks becoming more common there were stories floating around previously about certain local authorities/ schools around the world not allowing kids into school unless they had had the vaccine.

Of course you still need to allow for those who won't be able to take the vaccine for some reason, and that is why you have mass vaccination of the population, as they still need to be able to go about their lives freely.

Hodors Appletart

robinph wrote: »

Just with measles outbreaks becoming more common there were stories floating around previously about certain local authorities/ schools around the world not allowing kids into school unless they had had the vaccine..

Proper order. Selfish pricks.

Kermit.de.frog

Seems to be gaining traction

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2020/apr/02/no-10-seeks-to-end-covid-19-lockdown-with-immunity-passports

The moral hazard with those who stuck to the rules and avoided infection is potentially enormous if such a thing was implemented.

What is the point in isolating - you need to get infected.

Now, I as a naturally immune frog welcome the ideas but feel this one would be unfair and potentially disasterous.

hmmm

Kermit.de.frog wrote: »

Seems to be gaining traction

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2020/apr/02/no-10-seeks-to-end-covid-19-lockdown-with-immunity-passports

The moral hazard with those who stuck to the rules and avoided infection is potentially enormous if such a thing was implemented.

What is the point in isolating - you need to get infected.

Now, I as a naturally immune frog welcome the ideas but feel this one would be unfair and potentially disasterous.

Obviously being a frog you are in a unique position, but for humans it sounds reasonable - although as you point out, in many ways unfair. I'm not sure whether we'll much care about unfairness though, we'll be much more concerned about getting our economy restarted.

I suspect as we see what is going to happen in places like New York & New Orleans in the next two weeks, no-one is going to say that getting the virus can ever be a good thing.

biko

Immunity passports might not work when there is no immunity

'No evidence' of virus immunity in recovered patients - WHO

https://www.rte.ie/news/2020/0418/1132298-who-anti-bodies-covid-19/