Hybrid immunity is your best protection against COVID-19. That’s according to a University of Calgary research group and the World Health Organization. A news release from the U of C explains that hybrid immunity is when someone has had the full series of vaccines and has also had a prior infection, in any order. From their studies, protection against hospitalization and severe disease remained above 95 per cent for a year for those with hybrid immunity.

However, scientists warn against intentional exposure to the virus. First author of the study, Dr. Niklas Bobrovitz, says, “This virus is unpredictable in how it will affect your system. For some, it can be fatal or send you to the hospital. Even if you have a mild infection, you risk developing long COVID.”