A British immunologist warned Monday that immunity to the coronavirus could be “rather short-lived” and that people should not rely solely on that to cope with infectious disease.
Danny Altmann, professor of immunology at Imperial College London, told CNBC that only 10 to 15 percent of the population of a town or city is immune to COVID-19.
“And the immunity to this thing seems pretty fragile: It seems that some people may have antibodies for a few months and then it may decrease, so it doesn’t seem like a safe bet,” he told the network. “It is a very tricky virus and its immunity is very confusing and short lived.”
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He also warned that a second wave of infections is possible, but governments are better prepared to handle the outbreak than when the virus took over the world months ago.
“Anyone who thinks it has become milder or has disappeared or that the problem is somehow going to be solved is joking,” he told CNBC. “It is still a very lethal virus, it still infects people very, very easily. And I think humanity is not used to dealing with those realities. “
“The devil is in the details, vaccines are not that easy,” added Altmann. “There are over 100 on trial right now, and many things can go wrong along the way. I’m not betting at the moment myself. “
The World Health Organization warned last week that the virus is spreading as many countries begin to lift blocking measures to repair their shattered economies.
“Although many countries have made some progress, globally, the pandemic is actually accelerating,” said WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus during a briefing on June 29.
Several states have re-imposed restrictions amid an increase in COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations, including the closure of beaches over the holiday weekend.
As of Monday, more than 11.5 million people tested positive and more than 535,400 died, according to Johns Hopkins University.
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Altmann told CNBC lawmakers that they need to strike a balance between protecting people and preventing an economic downturn. However, he warned that the main goal is to prevent more infections.
“We have to continue to be guided by science and medicine and do the right thing,” he said. “And doing the right thing means everything you can do to block the transmission.”
