If I’ve already had the coronavirus, can I get it again?
It’s possible, but such cases seem to be rare. Evidence is growing that people whose bodies mounted a strong defense to the virus are unlikely to test positive again for at least several months and maybe longer.
It’s not unusual to develop some immunity to a virus after an infection, since our bodies are generally better at recognizing and fighting off bugs they’ve encountered before. And that seems to be the case with the coronavirus as well, though scientists are still trying to figure out how long any protection might last.
Some reinfections have been confirmed, but two new studies suggest that’s very unusual.
In one, only two out of 1,265 health workers in the United Kingdom who were previously infected ended up testing positive again for the coronavirus in the following six months. In another study of people in the U.S., only 0.3% of people who had been infected tested positive for the virus over the next several months – around the same rate of positivity as the U.K study.
The findings bode well for the COVID-19 vaccines that are being rolled out, which trigger the kind of immune responses that the studies found protective.
(AP)
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8 Responses
Since it is the “novel” (meaning “new”) coronavirus, there is no way of knowing. There is no way of knowing if the virus will change over time, and how that will impact people who had an earlier form or a vaccine designed for earlier forms. When time is a required element in a statistical study, a conclusion based on short term data collection is meaningless (i.e. “junk science”).
And the CDC is telling everyone to waste vaccinations on people who have antibodies!
Why? Because they haven’t proven that using a double blind study that people with antibodies don’t get Corona a second time. The CDC also isn’t sure that the sun rises in the east and sets in the west because it hasn’t been proven with a double blind study.
I know of cases who apparently had the virus 2x – so it’s not a guarantee!
@akuperma – It’s novel, meaning it hasn’t been seen in the wild before. Viruses in general, and the body’s response to them is studied well, and generally chances of re-infection should be low as with any virus.
More importantly: the extremely rare cases of “testing positive “ after having been sick with symptomatic Covid are almost inevitably completely non symptomatic.
There are some very rare cases of people who originally tested positive with no symptoms who later developed symptoms. But there is almost no statistically significant evidence for people to have repeat symptomatic infection.
This isn’t being talked about enough, because it’s not politically correct to have a “post Covid caste” of people in society.
When the expression “very rare” is used – its important to remember that we are talking about tiny, tiny numbers. The likelihood of contracting other rare diseases are unfortunately far higher.
Sechel, a little empirical experience, and Tefilla. And Tefilla. And Tefilla.
I have 2 friends who died after contracting it a second time. The first time was mild- taken care of at home- loss of smell and taste and fatigue. The second- 65 and 6 months later did them in. One had underlying condition, the other is just overweight…. normal Yiddishe pouch/ Alayhem Hashalom. We have to acknowledge that we do not know. Let’s not pretend that we do. Hashem keeps sending messages of his Dominion by defying predictions and expectations. New strains, 2 or 3 new waves, all ways that HE really wants us to raise our eyes and live with Ehekeh asher Ehekeh. Emunah, BItachon, Tfillah…. and more tfillah… form the depths of despair mimaamakim… and height of faith.. el heharim. All of us. Again and again… We should be zoche to the geula purta and Geula Shlaymah bikarov!!
If the government had any sense, they would refrain from dispensing the vaccine to any healthy person with antibodies, regardless of which phase we are in.
Anybody that recovered from the virus (and isn’t on, say, chemotherapy) should definitely be on the bottom of the list of recipients, until they either test negative for antibodies, or until everybody else was vaccinated.
And btw, i’m still waiting for a conclusive report that the vaccines currently available are effective against the various new strains out there.
ATTN: DavidtheKanoi,
Regarding the people you know of that allegedly caught the virus twice, i have 2 questions:
1) Were they tested BOTH times, and came back “Positive” for covid-19?
2) Were they also tested to determine if they still had antibodies during their 2nd infection?