The rare group still untouched by COVID

Key Points:

• Despite widespread COVID-19 infections over the past six years, a small group of people, termed "NOVIDs" or superdodgers, claim to have never contracted the virus, sparking scientific interest in potential biological or genetic resistance.
• Research shows true NOVIDs are extremely rare, with only about 2-3% of people worldwide lacking COVID antibodies, often due to undetected mild or asymptomatic infections rather than complete avoidance.
• An international consortium of 250 scientists is investigating genetic variants that might confer resistance to SARS-CoV-2, though no definitive mutations have been identified yet; such genetic resistance is believed to be extraordinarily rare, potentially under 0.1% of the population.
• Many self-identified NOVIDs attribute their status to a combination of rigorous precautionary measures, healthy habits, vaccination, and luck, with some maintaining strict avoidance behaviors while others resumed normal activities without testing positive.
• Understanding why some individuals resist infection or severe disease could inform future treatments, vaccines, and pandemic preparedness, paralleling past breakthroughs like genetic resistance to HIV and malaria, and ongoing research continues to seek these rare biological clues.