Immunity after COVID likely lasts a while, but is not perfect

Throughout the pandemic, onot the greatest unknown about the coronavirus has been how long people are immune after catching and recovering. The first indications were that he must provide immunity, because if multiple infections were possible, they would probably be common. But even a year and more in the health crisis, the exact length of that protection is not clear.

A recent study from the UK provides additional data, suggesting that after a person has recovered from COVID-19, their chances of contracting the virus are reduced by at least 83% for at least five months. The study followed 20,000 health workers, including 6,614 participants who had tested positive for antibodies. Compared to those who had not contracted COVID, those who had been 83% less likely to be infected again. The actual protection may be higher than that, since investigators found 44 “possible” re-infections in this group.

The study was not peer reviewed, but you can read reactions from several experts here at the UK’s Science Media Center, and in-depth reporting such as this one from nature that provide context.

The results of the study are more or less in agreement with previous work, in particular this study who found that healthcare workers with advanced anti-protein antibodies had greater than 90% protection for 6 months.

CDC Guidelines State that people who have had COVID in the past three months do not need to quarantine if they are exposed again. It certainly gives the impression that people are immune for three months, but they continue to clarify:

The evidence does not indicate the definitive absence of reinfection during this time, only that the risks of potential transmission of SARS-CoV-2 from recovered people are likely outweighed by the personal and societal benefits of avoiding unnecessary quarantine.

In other words, it may be infected again within three months, but it doesn’t seem likely.

What does it mean if I have had COVID?

We have lived through a time of so much uncertainty, with so many unanswered questions, and sadly, it is still another gray area. Over the next couple of years, we’ll probably have a better idea of ​​how long the protection will last. (This also applies to the vaccine: we know it works for at least two months, but it didn’t blong enough for us to be able to find out if immunity wears off after month, or years, or lasts a lifetime.)

So here’s what the experts recommend: First of all, you may find it comforting to know you probably have some protection. It’s good news. But this is not actionable news: you should always do fundamentally the same as the rest of us.

It is always important to wear masks, for example, and to respect all the usual social distancing rules. Don’t think you can stand by and freely cough on people or something like that.

You should also continue to receive the vaccine when it is available to you.. CDC says that you should not get the vaccine while you have COVID, but getting the vaccine after you recover is fine. If you received antibody therapy while you were could be a reason to delay vaccination, but the infection itself is not.