Some people are quite confident in their ability to beat the novel coronavirus. Public health officials in Walla Walla County, Washington, say they have been receiving reports of COVID-19 “parties” being held in the community. At the gatherings, non-infected people mingle with an infected person to try and catch the virus. The CDC says in the past, parents have participated in “chickenpox parties” to intentionally expose unvaccinated children to the virus in hopes they would get the disease and beat it while still young and healthy. But the CDC recommends against hosting or participating in these “parties” and Walla Walla County health officials warn that outbreaks could follow. An infectious disease expert says there’s not enough scientific evidence yet to prove that getting the virus once could protect someone from getting it again.
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