Can you get the coronavirus twice?

‘It’s very much emerging science’

NEW YORK, July 28, (Agencies): Can you get the coronavirus twice?

Scientists don’t know for sure yet, but they believe it’s unlikely.

Health experts think people who had COVID-19 will have some immunity against a repeat infection. But they don’t know how much protection or how long it would last.

There have been reports of people testing positive for the virus weeks after they were believed to have recovered, leading some to think they may have been reinfected. More likely, experts say people were suffering from the same illness or the tests detected remnants of the original infection. There’s also the chance tests could have been false positives.

Scientists say there has been no documented instance of a patient spreading the virus to others after retesting positive.

With similar viruses, studies have shown that people could fall sick again three months to a year after their first infections. It’s still too early to know whether that’s also possible with the coronavirus.

“It’s very much emerging science,” said Dr Philip Landrigan, director of the global public health program at Boston College.

A small US study published last week also found the antibodies that fight the coronavirus may only last a few months in people with mild illness, suggesting people could become susceptible again. But antibodies aren’t the only defense against a virus, and the other parts of the immune system could also help provide protection.

Settling the question of whether reinfection is possible is important. If it can occur, that could undermine the idea of “immunity passports” for returning back to workplaces. And it would not bode well for hopes of getting a long-lasting vaccine.

Also:

GENEVA: The coronavirus pandemic “continues to accelerate”, with a doubling of cases over the last six weeks, the World Health Organization chief says.

WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus says nearly 16 million cases have now been reported to the UN health agency, with more than 640,000 deaths worldwide.

Tedros will convene on Thursday WHO’s emergency committee, a procedural requirement six months after the agency’s declaration of a public health emergency of international concern, made on Jan 30 for the coronavirus outbreak. The panel will advise him on the pandemic.

“COVID-19 has changed our world,” he told reporters from WHO’s Geneva headquarters on Monday. “It has brought people, communities and nations together – and driven them apart.”

He cited some factors that have proven effective in some countries, including political leadership, education, increased testing and hygiene and physical distancing measures.

“We are not prisoners of the pandemic. Every single one of us can make a difference,” Tedros said. “The future is in our hands.”

Ghebreyesus said Monday he is planning to meet with WHO emergency committee later this week to reevaluate coronavirus pandemic and provide advice in accordance with the re-evaluation.

Speaking at a news conference at the organization’s headquarters in Geneva, Ghebreyesus said that the number of infections exceeded 16 million and the fatalities surpassed 640,000, with an increased pace of the cases.