During the pandemic, thene of the biggest unknown about coronavirus it has been the time that people are immune after they contract it and recover. The first indications were that it should provide some immunity, since, if multiple infections were possible, they would probably be common. But even after another year in the health crisis, the exact length of this protection it is not clear.
A recent UK study provides some more data, suggesting that after a person has recovered from COVID-19, their chance of getting the virus is reduced by at least 83% for at least five months. The study followed 20,000 health professionals, including 6,614 participants who tested positive for antibodies. Compared to those who did not contract COVID, those who did were 83% less likely to be infected again. The actual protection may be greater than that, as the researchers found 44 “possible” reinfections in that group.
The study was not peer-reviewed, but you can read the reactions of several experts here at the UK’s Science Media Center and detailed news stories like east of nature that provide context.
The results of the study agree more or less with previous work, including this study who found that healthcare professionals with peak protein antibodies had more than 90% protection for 6 months.
CDC Guidelines state that people who have had COVID in the past three months do not need to be quarantined if they are exposed again. This sounds like people have been immune for three months, but they clarify:
The evidence does not indicate the definitive absence of reinfection during this period, only that the risks of potential transmission of SARS-CoV-2 from recovered people are likely to be outweighed by the personal and social benefits of avoiding unnecessary quarantine.
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In other words, May it is possible to become infected again in three months, but it does not seem likely.
What does this mean if I have COVID?
We live in a moment of so many uncertainties, with so many unanswered questions, and unfortunately we are not yet other gray area. In the next year or two, we will probably have a better sense of how long the protection lasts. (This also applies to the vaccine: we know it has been working for at least two months, but not bstick around long enough for us whether immunity weakens after months, or years, or lasts a lifetime.)
So, here’s what the experts are recommending: First, you may find it comforting to know you probably have some protection. This is good news. But it’s not actionable news: you still need to do basically the same things as the rest of us.
It is still important to wear masks, for example, and respect all the usual social distances rules. Don’t think that you can stay close and cough at people freely or anything like that.
You should also get the vaccine when it is available to you. The CDC says that you shouldn’t get the vaccine While you have COVID, but it is good to be vaccinated after you recover. If you received antibody treatment while you were ill, it it may be a reason to delay vaccination, but the infection itself is not.