Last week we heard news of the first confirmed case of coronavirus reinfection.
A man in his 30s, who had coronavirus four and a half months ago had contracted the virus again, but was asymptomatic. This has a sparked a lot of concern, as the logical question to stem from the news is: do we need to be worried about this? Is reinfection going to be a common occurrence and how will it impact vaccinations?Unfortunately, the answer is a short one; we don’t really know.This has just happened, and the only information we have has been obtained from media sources. There has not yet been time for medical journals to publish anything official. Virologist, Misha Ketchell, has stated that all we can say for sure is that reinfection “seems to be possible after enough time has elapsed. We do not know how likely or often it is to occur.”While the topic of coronavirus reinfection is important to understand, this is all the information we currently have.The news is not cause for alarm, nor should it merely be dismissed. Be wary of both extremes as we wait and see how future developments unfold.From all this, the best advice we can give is to keep following the guidelines and adhering to health directives. A positive coronavirus swab in the past is not a guarantee for future immunity so continue to wear a mask, wash your hands and stay home when you can.Stay safe.
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Source: https://theconversation.com/a-man-was-reinfected-with-coronavirus-after-recovery-what-does-this-mean-for-immunity-144991
