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Geneva, April 26 (IANS): Governments should not issue so-called “immunity passports” or “risk-free certificates” as a way to ease blockages, the World Health Organization (WHO) said.
WHO’s guidance is based on evidence from researchers around the world. But it could well change as we quickly learn more about this virus, the BBC reported.
There is currently no evidence to suggest that having the virus once protects you from contracting it again. Therefore, the idea of an “immunity passport,” allowing people who test positive for antibodies to have fewer restrictions, would be very risky.
Some governments have considered allowing people who have recovered to travel or return to work.
Restrictions on movements to stop the spread of the virus have paralyzed economies around the world.
More than 2.8 million cases of the virus have been confirmed worldwide and almost 200,000 people have died.
Many countries, including Germany, Italy, and the United Kingdom, are beginning to test samples from their populations for antibodies. In the UK, 25,000 people will be tested every month for the next year, both to detect antibodies and to check if they currently have the virus.
This could provide more information on whether (and for how long) the disease confers immunity to those who have recovered. And that would give us a clearer idea of whether evaluating people and giving them some kind of immunity status might be an option in the future.
Last week, Chile said it would begin issuing “health passports” to people who have recovered from the disease.
Once screened for the presence of antibodies that make them immune to the virus, they could join the workforce, authorities said.
In Sweden, which chose to keep large parts of society open, some scientists believe that people can end up with much higher levels of immunity compared to those who live under stricter regulations.
However, Anders Wallensten of the Swedish Public Health Agency told the BBC that not enough was known about immunity yet.
“We will know more as more people are tested for antibodies, but also as more time passes, and if more reports of reinfection are reported, etc.,” he said.
In Belgium, which has one of the highest per capita death rates, but plans to gradually tighten closure restrictions starting May 11, a government adviser told the BBC that he strongly opposed the idea of passports. immunity.
“I hate the fact that we would give people passports, one green or one red, depending on their HIV status,” said virologist Professor Marc Van Ranst, a member of the Belgian government’s Risk Assessment Group and Scientific Committee on Coronavirus. .
“That will lead to counterfeiting, to people who will voluntarily become infected with the virus. This is not a good idea. It is an extremely bad idea.”
Earlier this week, Professor Mala Maini of University College London said that reliable antibody tests were urgently needed to determine how long the antibodies persisted and whether they conferred protection.
“We are still not sure if these antibodies indicate protective immunity against SARS-CoV-2, but preliminary data suggests that they may be a reasonable proxy for this, so they are considered to report blocking release, etc.” said.
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