# Previous exposure to other coronaviruses may result in milder COVID

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/previous-exposure-to-other-coronaviruses-may-result-in-milder-covid/945804>\
**Category:** The Quarantine Zone\
**Tags:** covid-quarantine\
**Created:** [July 6, 2021, 9:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/previous-exposure-to-other-coronaviruses-may-result-in-milder-covid/945804 "2021-07-06T09:46:04Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![dtilque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\
**Post date:** [July 6, 2021, 9:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/previous-exposure-to-other-coronaviruses-may-result-in-milder-covid/945804/1 "2021-07-06T09:46:04Z")

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> **[Study ties milder COVID-19 symptoms to prior run-ins with other coronaviruses](https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/07/210701140959.htm)**
>
> In COVID-19 patients whose symptoms were mild, researchers found that they were more likely than sicker patients to have signs of prior infection by similar, less virulent coronaviruses.

The idea was suggested way back near the beginning of the epidemic, but I haven’t heard anything about it in the last year or so. Good to see someone is researching it.

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**Author:** ![AK84](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/85e7bf/32.png) [@AK84](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AK84)\
**Post date:** [July 6, 2021, 10:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/previous-exposure-to-other-coronaviruses-may-result-in-milder-covid/945804/2 "2021-07-06T10:47:47Z")

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Its been postulated that this is the real reason why many countries have had less bad outbreaks despite having lower levels of masks and social distancing and limited vaccinations, that a previous cold causing coronavirus provided some protection.