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GENEVA: The World Health Organization (WHO) warned on Saturday that there is no evidence that people who test positive for coronavirus are immunized and protected against reinfection.
The warning suggests that the issuance of “immune passports” may promote the continued spread of the pandemic.
“There is currently no evidence that people who have recovered from # COVID19 and have antibodies are protected from a second infection,” the WHO said in a statement.
“As of April 24, 2020, no study has evaluated whether the presence of antibodies to SARS-CoV-2 confers immunity to subsequent infection by this virus in humans.”
Some governments, who want a gradual return to work and a resumption of economic activity, have come up with the idea of issuing documents that support people’s immunity based on serological tests that reveal the presence of antibodies in the blood.
But the efficacy of an immunization thanks to the antibodies has not yet been established and the available scientific data do not justify the granting of an “immune passport” or a “certificate of absence of risk”, the WHO warns.
At this point in the pandemic, there is insufficient evidence on the effectiveness of antibody-mediated immunity to ensure the accuracy of a “immunity passport” or “risk-free certificate.”
“People who assume they are immune to a second infection because they have received a positive test result may ignore public health advice,” the WHO said.
“Therefore, the use of such certificates can increase the risks of continuous transmission.”
The WHO also believes that currently used serological tests “need additional validation to determine their precision and reliability.”
In particular, the tests should distinguish the immune response to the new coronavirus from the antibodies produced during an infection by another of the six known human coronaviruses, four of which are widespread and cause mild colds.
The other two are responsible for MERS (Middle East Respiratory Syndrome) and SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome).
“People infected with one or the other of these viruses are capable of producing antibodies that interact with antibodies produced in response to infection caused by SARS-CoV-2,” the WHO said, stressing the importance of being able to identify them.
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