Can you catch COVID-19 twice?

One of the most pressing questions of the COVID-19 pandemic is whether or not you become immune to the virus after surviving the infection.

One of the most pressing questions of the COVID-19 pandemic is whether or not you become immune to the virus after surviving the infection.

With the disease’s existence only being reported to the World Health Organisation three months ago, it’s early days and the answer is still unknown.

While there have been reports of people developing the illness for a second time, they’re not confirmed.

According to the head of the biosecurity program at the Kirby Institute at UNSW Sydney, Raina MacIntyre, there hasn’t been “scientific evidence” of reinfection.

“One of the key questions related to that is whether or not the immunity that you get after being infected is strong enough and lasts long enough,” she said in a video created by the Australian Academy of Science.

Professor MacIntyre said we “really need to see better studies of COVID-19 to determine if reinfection is possible”.

The professor of global biosecurity also answers the following questions in the video:

  • Why are there conflicting reports about the virus?
  • How long does the virus last on a surface?
  • What’s the best way to clean surfaces?

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