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- A health worker (L) gives her a tube containing a swab after collecting a coronavirus test sample from a woman in a mobile test unit during a national government-imposed shutdown as a preventive measure against the COVID-19 coronavirus , in Colombo on April 18. 2020.
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- LAKRUWAN WANNIARACHCHI / AFP via Getty Images
- The World Health Organization warned that there is no evidence that antibody tests can show whether a person who was previously affected by the new coronavirus is immune to reinfection.
- Antibodies cannot guarantee long-term immunity to the virus for recovered patients or asymptomatic former carriers, officials said Friday.
- Concerns about the lack of immunity after infection join efforts to relax measures of social distancing that have been complicated by growing reinfection trends.
- Visit the Business Insider home page for more stories.
The World Health Organization warned that coronavirus antibodies cannot guarantee long-term immunity against COVID-19 for recovered patients or asymptomatic former carriers.
At a press conference Friday by various media, officials said serological tests, also known as antibody tests, can show whether the person previously contracted the virus, but there is no evidence that it can find out if a person is immune. to virus infection.
At least 564,525 people have recovered from COVID-19 worldwide, according to Johns Hopkins data. However, the problems with the development and distribution of reliable tests described by experts probably mean that there are many more cases that have not been detected or treated.
Antibody tests have been touted as a crucial step in the move toward reopening workplaces and public spaces, as they could determine if a person has already had COVID-19, regardless of whether they ever showed symptoms. A positive result would mean that they are probably immune.
President Donald Trump recommended that states implement tests as the areas begin to relax the social distancing measures that have been implemented in recent weeks. Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said last week that he expected a large amount of evidence would be available within the next week.
Fauci previously warned that the new coronavirus could become “seasonal” with the possibility of a resurgence of the outbreak later this year, which is motivating public officials to improve the country’s readiness, including the development of a vaccine and other interventions. .
As soon as EE. USA He could get a coronavirus vaccine in 12 to 18 months, which would be an impressive timeline for a vaccine, Fauci said.
The WHO press conference came after authorities said that not all people recovering from the coronavirus have the antibodies to fight a second infection, raising concern along with growing trends in countries like South Korea, where authorities have found at least 160 patients who are believed to have been eliminated. the new coronavirus had tested positive again.
Dr. Jon Santiago, who is also a state representative, works in the Boston Medical Center emergency room, told CBS Boston that hospital workers have noticed a troubling trend of repeat patients who often require more intensive care. than during your initial treatment.
“Over the past week we have seen an interesting phenomenon in which people who were initially diagnosed a week ago return sick to the hospital and often require a ventilator or ICU,” Santiago told WBZ. “That shows how insidious the virus can be.”
