COVID-19 Infection Grants Immunity for Five Months, U.K. Study Suggests

A British study suggests that those who have been infected with COVID-19 are likely to be immune for at least five months, reports CNN . Researchers said past infection was associated with an 83 percent lower risk of reinfection, compared to people who have not previously been infected — although immunity is not guaranteed and its precise duration is uncertain. Moreover, people with a degree of immunity may still be able to carry the virus in their nose or throat and pass it to others. The study regularly tested nearly 21,000 health workers throughout Britain between June and November, of whom 6,614 tested positive for antibodies against the virus, while over 14,000 had no signs of previous infection. Of those who had been infected, 44 developed possible new infections, representing an 83 percent degree of protection against reinfection. Susan Hopkins at Public Health England emphasized that people who had previously caught COVID-19 still had to follow social distancing rules to avoid transmitting the disease. "The good news is that this study gives further weight that reinfections of COVID is rare, at least at this stage, and that having antibodies will provide protection for a meaningful amount of time, although it may not be lifelong immunity," said University of Reading Professor Simon Clarke.