Reinfection & immunity: Why catching Covid-19 twice is no reason for panic

Specialised immune cells in the body are tasked with remembering each particular infection, so if you get infected again your body quickly starts producing the relevant antibodies

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Herd immunity is still possible if we get a successful vaccine, because vaccines can be more powerful and protective than the immunity conferred by being naturally infected with the virus.

Vasso Apostolopoulos, Magdalena Plebanski, Maja Husaric | The Conversation

5 min read Last Updated : Aug 26 2020 | 12:11 PM IST

A Hong Kong man who recovered from COVID-19 more than four months ago has reportedly been reinfected with SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. This time he didn’t have any symptoms.

This is not necessarily unexpected, because very few natural infections generate an immune response that completely prevents reinfection. Instead, what generally happens after an infection is that the body’s immune response gradually declines over months after the infection is cleared.

Specialised immune cells in the body are tasked with remembering each particular infection, so if you get infected again your body quickly starts producing the relevant antibodies and other

Topics : Coronavirus Herd Immunity Coronavirus Tests Coronavirus Vaccine Immunity immunisation