How long have you been immune to Covid-19 Coronavirus? Here Is What CDC Says

Oh no they did not.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) did not say exactly whether or how long you can remain immune to the Covid-19 coronavirus after recovering from an infection. But a new addition to the CDC’s “When to Quarantine” website said something interesting:

“People who have tested positive for COVID-19 should not be quarantined or retested for up to three months, as long as they do not develop symptoms again.”

Hmm. Why not try quarantine or retest? Is no re-infection with the virus a possibility? Or could you have that magic word that starts with the letter “I” and rhymes with the phrase “hot dog eating community”? In other words, does the CDC now suggest that you can have a maximum of three months immunity to the virus after you become infected? Well, that’s definitely one way to interpret the statement. For example, here’s a tweet response to this updated CDC guide:

That seems like you shouldn & # 39; t have to go through the wonderful months-cotton-swab-up-your-nose experience for the three months after you recover from Covid-19, right? Maybe. Possibly. Perhaps. Read a little further on the CDC website, like one sentence further, and you will see the following:

“People who develop symptoms within 3 months of their first COVID-19 attack may need to be re-evaluated if no other cause has been identified for their symptoms.”

That you may have a maximum of three months of immunity, unless of course you do not have long for this immunity. It seems that the statement has the certainty of saying, “I love you until, of course, someone else gets better,” right? Maybe maybe. Possibly. Well, not exactly.

Even though those on social media saw the relatively new statements on the CDC’s website (apparently this statement was added on August 3) as a statement on immunity, a CD media version of August 14 suggested otherwise. This release was entitled “Updated guidance for isolation does not imply immunity to COVID-19.” Here is what the release said: “On August 3, 2020, CDC updated its isolation guidance based on the latest science on COVID-19 which shows that people can stay posed for up to 3 months after diagnosis and not be infected for others. The media release went on to say, “Contrary to current media reports, this science does not mean that a person is immune to reinfection with SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, in the next 3 months. infection. ”

So what does the updated guidance really mean? The CDC release added that “The latest data simply suggest that a re-test within 3 months after initial infection is not necessary unless that person exhibits the symptoms of COVID-19 and the symptoms cannot be linked to another disease. . “

It appears that the CDC did not actually provide a statement on immunity to the Covid-19 coronavirus. This makes sense given the current state of science. The answer to the big question of whether and how long you might develop immunity to the virus has been like taking a selfie while riding a rollercoaster on a vibrating pillow: it’s still a moving target and unclear. As I have considered before Forbes, scientists still do not know for sure how immunity against Covid-19 coronavirus can work. Are you immune after recovering from an infection? If so, how long can immunity last? Does anyone develop this kind of immunity? Will everyone have the same degree and duration of immunity? What does this mean for vaccine development? How many people actually wear pants when they are on Zoom? So many questions have not been answered yet.

Several studies have suggested that immunity may last at least a few months. In a research letter published in the New England Journal of Medicine in July, a team from the David Geffen School of Medicine at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), led by Otto Yang, MD, a Professor of Medicine, described how they measured antibody levels over the course of ‘ followed the time in a sample of 34 patients who had mild Covid-19 coronavirus infections. Now 34 people are not many people, unless you want to play charades on Zoom or wait for the bathroom. However, the study found that recorded blood levels of immunoglobulin G in this sample dropped fairly rapidly after recovery from a moderately severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV2) infection. (You can say IgG instead of immunoglobulin G if you want to say it faster or run from a tiger.) The average half-life for IgG in the blood was about 36 days, which means that after about a month the blood level had dropped by about the heroes. The research team followed each patient for an average of only 86 days, so did not report if patients still had IgG after three months.

As I have written before, IgG is the major antibody for long-term immunity. To remember this, remember “G” for “go” as in the song “Please Don’t Go,” by KC and the Sunshine Band. Thus, the UCLA study suggests that the anti-immune response may still be after three months, but shortly thereafter baby may be gone.

Another piece of evidence is a pre-printed article entitled “SARS-CoV-2 infection induces robust, neutralizing antibody responses that are stable for at least three months” posted on medRxiv. The title of this pre-printed type gives away the conclusion of the study, as does the name of the film Avengers: Infinity War with the title “Great purple man wears glove with bling and clenched fingers, causing half the man to disappear to set up a very lucrative pursuit.”

For this second study, a team from Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City led by Carlos Cordon-Cardo, MD, PhD, a professor of pathology, molecular and cellular medicine, analyzed data from a database of 19,860 people who were screened at Mount Sinai Health System in New York City for IgG against the SARS-CoV2. More than 90% of those who had mild to moderate Covid-19 measured IgG in their blood approximately three months after infection. In addition, these antibodies were able to neutralize the SARS-CoV-2 in test tubes. So, as the title of the preview said, you can have at least three months of antibody protection against the virus.

However, keep in mind that such is a pre-print net the same as a publication in a reputable scientific journal that has gone through peer-review. In other words, other real scientists have not had a chance to formally evaluate the study, provide feedback, and propose changes. The study is still in the hey look, this may be an interesting phase and not the “here is established scientific evidence” phase. So record the results of each study posted medRxiv with a ham, cheese, and ice cream cone full of salt for now.

Another thing to consider is that IgG levels do not exactly match immunity to a T. The response provided by your immune system to SARS-Cov2 in part may be a bit like a “friends with benefits” relationship. It can be quite complex with much more than what initially pleases the eye. Your immune system can produce different types of lymphocytes to help with the immune response to an infection. These include B lymphocytes, which can secrete the aforementioned antibodies that are easily measurable by blood tests. However, other components, such as T cells or T lymphocytes, may, so to speak, be at work under the covers. T-cells have nothing to do with T-shirts, but instead are cells that can help neutralize or kill viruses in various ways.

A study published in the journal Nature found T cells in people taking Covid-19 and that these T cells seemed to recognize the N proteins in SARS-Cov2. So even if antibodies disappear from your bloodstream a few months after an infection, T cells could potentially linger longer and provide some defense against re-infection.

Thus, the current guidance of the CDC is not surprising. The wear of definitive guidance may not feel very satisfying, but in the words of Wilson Phillips, stop, the science is still emerging. Scientists need more time, resources and funding to figure things out and gather more evidence. It is only about six or seven missing haircuts since this completely new virus emerged.

For now, the CDC is trying to give you some respect for actions that could get out of control. In theory, you could continue testing the wazoo after recovering from an infection. (Figuratively, of course, and not literally. You should not test your soil for the SARS-CoV2.) Won’t people in the White House actually test for the Covid-19 coronavirus every day? The new CDC recommendation may give your nose a whirl. It may also prevent you from quarantining continuously.

That said, the CDC guidance may be more about practicing moderation than having strict definitive guidelines to follow after a T. The immune response, the situation, and in turn what you need to do can still vary significantly from person to person and depend on how serious your infection was. While Buffy sang for Big Bird on SESAM street, different people, different ways. After all, maybe you do not have to worry so much about re-infection in the three months after you recover from Covid-19. That is, unless you are really re-infected.