A newly published study from the National Cancer Institute (NCI) shows people who have had COVID-19 appear to be well protected against being reinfected, at least for a few months. NCI researchers found that reinfection appears to be relatively rare, which could affect national and state guidelines regarding returning to work and school, as well as the prioritization of vaccine distribution.
"The data from this study suggest that people who have a positive result from a commercial antibody test appear to have substantial immunity to SARS-CoV-2, which means they may be at lower risk for future infection," said Dr. Lynne Penberthy, associate director of NCI's Surveillance Research Program, who led the study. "Additional research is needed to understand how long this protection lasts, who may have limited protection, and how patient characteristics, such as comorbid conditions, may impact protection. We are nevertheless encouraged by this early finding."
Researchers obtained antibody test results from more than 3 million Americans who had a SARS-CoV-2 antibody test between January 1, 2020, and August 23, 2020.
SOURCE: ScienceDaily February 24, 2021