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2022年伊始，美国奥密克戎变种病例的激增接近顶峰：1月20日，近16万名新冠患者住院，是大流行期间住院人数最多的一次。2月2日，新报告死亡人数的七天平均值达到2669人的峰值。

临近年末，预期中的新冠病例季节性增长已经开始。七天平均每日死亡人数比两周前增加了65%。

由于流感和呼吸道合胞病毒（RSV）病例也很高，包括纽约市和洛杉矶在内的多个城市和县都建议人们戴口罩。

但大流行病最令人困惑的谜团之一仍未解开：有些人从未感染过新冠，无论是以前还是这一季。

虽然许多人可能通过预防措施或因为运气而避免了感染，但科学家认为，真的存在“永不感染者”（never Coviders）：他们天生具有免疫力，对他们的遗传学研究可以为治疗提供线索。

乔纳森·沃尔夫与纽约时报同事阿普尔瓦·曼达维利谈到了科学家们如何努力寻找这样的人，以及我们能学到什么。

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这是真的吗？

可能是。我们已知有些人天生对其他病毒具有抵抗力。

我能想到的最突出的例子是艾滋病毒，其中有一种突变使一些人不会感染这种病毒。它实际上已经成为极少数已治愈的HIV患者的治疗关键。

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英文原文：

https://www.nytimes.com/2022/12/14/briefing/never-covid.html

Who Are the ‘Never-Coviders’?

The year began as the surge in the Omicron variant in the U.S. was nearing its peak: On Jan. 20, nearly 160,000 Covid patients were hospitalized, the most at any point in the pandemic. On Feb. 2, the seven-day average of new reported deaths peaked at 2,669.

As the year comes to a close, an expected seasonal increase in Covid cases has begun. The seven-day average of daily deaths is up 65 percent from two weeks ago. 

With cases of the flu and respiratory syncytial virus, or R.S.V., also high, several cities and counties, including New York City and Los Angeles, have advised people to mask up.

But one of the most confounding mysteries of the pandemic remains: Some people have never had Covid, this season or ever.

While many people may have avoided infection through precaution or luck, “never Coviders,” scientists believe, are truly out there: People who are naturally immune and whose genetics could hold clues for treatment.

Jonathan Wolfe spoke with Times colleague Apoorva Mandavilli about how scientists are trying to find them, and what we might learn.

Does this really happen?

It probably is a real thing. There are other viruses for which we know there are people who are naturally resistant. 

The most striking example I can think of is H.I.V., where there is a mutation that makes some people resistant to getting infected with the virus. That’s actually been the key to curing the very few people that have been cured of H.I.V.

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