, Columnist
Covid ‘Viral Load’ Is a Meaningless Distraction
If you’re not a laboratory mouse, a bigger dose of virus won’t necessarily make you sicker.
Not the worst way to get Covid.
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When a person is exposed to Covid, does quantity matter? The conventional wisdom has long been that French-kissing a highly contagious person in a bar will lead to a much worse case than inhaling a few bits of virus on a walk in the park. The higher the initial “viral load,” the sicker you’ll become.
Actually, probably not. Judging from new research, the math doesn’t work out.