Are you immune to COVID-19 after surviving the infection?

Probably. I apologize for giving you an uncertain answer, but we are not sure if people recovering from COVID-19 are immune after recovery and for how long they are immune. Having immunity to future infections will make a huge difference for individuals and society in general. The more immune people in the population, the lower the number of people who are sensitive. This will help end the outbreak.

We know that immunity to coronaviruses that cause colds lasts one to three years, but we don’t yet know if this is true for COVID-19. Research in China shows that monkeys infected with this virus are immune to reinfection, but we do not yet know how long their immunity will last.

We have another clue from the experience of SARS

(Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome) caused by a corona virus that spread in 2003. Here, immunity is reported to last eight to 10 years. Previous studies have suggested that immunity to some coronavirus infections does not last long, but secondary infections can often be less severe and less infectious.

An article dated 30 March (2020)

in New Yorker magazine warns the survivors of COVID-19 not to assume that they are exempt from future infections by quoting Tom Frieden, former director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. He stated that immunity varies from disease to disease. It can be as short as a season or can last for decades in the same situations. To illustrate the latter, he referred to the measles outbreak on an island 200 miles north of Scotland in 1846. “Everybody caught it, one hundred percent, because it’s one of the most contagious diseases,” Dr. said. Frieden said, “After the outbreak, there have been no cases of measles on the island for 65 years. Then the measles came back and again infect everyone on the island – except for those over 65. All were still immune. ”

Currently, your best bet is to do your best to protect yourself from taking COVID-19 for the first time – stay home, especially if you are sick or live in a city or state with orders you have left at home. Wash your hands frequently and thoroughly, do not shake hands with anyone, and try not to touch your face. If you get a mild infection, don’t think you’re immune to it later.