was, take two scenarios. One person is infected by a droplet from a sneeze or cough from someone who is currently very ill. Another person is infected by touching something where a droplet landed days ago. Would the number of viable viruses not be different? And controlling for everything else, wouldn’t the second person have a better chance of the immune system taking control before a more serious infection for the first person develops.

Of course it depends on host but it makes sense to me that two people could be exposed to the same virus in different numbers and strength, and have a different reaction.