The shielding a person enjoys after recovering from COVID-19 protected people against infection after the Omicron virus variant became dominant in the United States, according to a new study. The protection, known as natural immunity, was similar to the protection seen among the naturally immune who got at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine and people who got three doses of a COVID-19 vaccine and did not have natural immunity, researchers with the Cleveland Clinic found. Further, those who had received a primary series of a vaccine and did not get a booster, or additional shot, were the most likely to become infected. “During the time when the Omicron variant was the predominant strain causing infection, prior COVID-19 provided effective protection against infection for at least 6 months even in the absence of vaccination,” Dr. Nabin Shrestha, the lead author and an infectious disease physician, told The Epoch Times in …