Latest Covid-19 info

[Guest]

I just went to a lecture given by a panel of Covid-19 experts today. I was surprised to see one of the lecturers walk up to the podium with a mask on (the only lecturer during the 3-day conference to walk up in a mask), but then he said "I came up wearing a mask because I'm over 65, and want to send a message that masks work," but then he took it off, and kept it off, including when the panel got together for the Q&A session, discussion. Some things they brought up, which I know some people here have had questions about:

(1) No scientific reason to pick one brand over another when getting boosted; the 3rd dose could even be J&J/Janssen. (Except that if one started with J&J, one should pick another)

(2) Surprisingly, they said there's not much science to support a 4th dose/2nd booster at this time. Even the senior citizen on the panel said he was holding off at this time.

(3) It's now believed that over half of the US population has been infected with the omicron strain (though most, of course, had no symptoms).

(4) I did submit the question another poster had regarding any utility of quantitative IgG antibodies, but that question wasn't selected, so not answered.

(5) Natural infection provides some immunity, but getting immunized after infection provides an additional 80% risk reduction from re-infection.