Coronovirus

[jennyjoan]

If one has or is recovering from the effects of the Coronovirus - can one take it again.

[teacake44]

It appears no one is 100% on that.

[fiction-factory]

No-one knows for certain yet but I understand it is considered unlikely as some immunity will be there- hence the reason for the antibody tests that are planned for some. However if Covid changes and a new strand comes along then that could strike us.

[jennyjoan]

ok - thanks for your answers.

[Buenchico]

The tests that are carried out on medical staff, for example, look for the presence of antibodies to the virus in their blood. If those antibodies are present, then it's an indicator that they've recovered from the virus and that (because of the presence of those antibodies) they're now immune to it.

However the research has shown that they antibodies are actually only 'low level' ones, so there's not a total guarantee that the person couldn't possibly get a second dose of the disease (although, the the best of my knowledge, there's been no recorded incidence of anyone contracting the disease for a second time yet).

Further, all viruses mutate over time. That's why last year's flu jab won't protect you against this year's flu. So it's possible that Covid-19 could mutate into a slightly different form, to which any existing antibodies in a person's body would then be ineffective.

[fiction-factory]

The main issue at the moment for my family and neighbours and colleagues is that we think some of us have had it but can't be sure so even if we have self isolated once as a precaution we have to repeat the self isolation if someone else in close contact displays some symptoms- and of course lots of medical staff are off for the same reasons when they might actually be pretty certainly safe to return to work

[jennyjoan]

OMG Chris - mind boggling

[tiggerblue10]

No one knows for sure.

It is also possible that many of us have already had it and recovered but we we will never know.

[ichkeria]

I didn’t think the antibody tests had been proved to be effective yet

[jno]

so far there's only been one report of someone being re-infected, and that's such an outlier it's quite possible it was mistaken in some way (eg she wasn't completely cured after all).

But even if an infection makes you immune, there's no telling how long the immunity might last.

[tiggerblue10]

I had heard that there are 2 strains/mutations of the virus. Don't know if that is true though.

[NickorWan]

There is also a theory aired by some virologists that the virus might be the type that latches on to antibodies we have in us from similar viruses to help it survive. That theory could explain why youngsters don’t seem to be troubled as much by it as they don’t have many virus antibodies.

[derek-33]

seems one does not know yet