Reinfected Marines additionally had decrease ranges of antibodies from their preliminary bout, in contrast with Marines who did not get reinfected.
“Two-thirds of the 19 Marines who had been reinfected did not have measurable neutralizing antibodies,” Sealfon famous, suggesting that some individuals who get contaminated do not generate antibodies.
The excellent news: Having antibodies after an infection does shield you in opposition to reinfection. The dangerous information: Even for those who’ve had COVID, there stays a danger you may get it once more.
“Which may not trigger issues for the affected person, and definitely younger individuals — like these in our examine — are principally asymptomatic,” Sealfon mentioned. “Nevertheless it actually can imply that there’s a danger that they will then transmit a brand new an infection to those that are extra weak.”
Meaning mask-wearing, social distancing and getting vaccinated will nonetheless be vital, no matter your prior an infection historical past.
“Vaccination to offer extra safety continues to be warranted for many who’ve been contaminated,” Sealfon mentioned. “As a result of we all know that you simply actually enhance your antibody response with vaccination, even when you have already got antibodies.”
However Dr. Sandro Cinti, a professor of infectious illness at Michigan Drugs on the College of Michigan in Ann Arbor, mentioned it is best to not learn an excessive amount of into these findings.
“These are early outcomes, with a really small variety of sufferers,” he famous. “You must be very cautious decoding all of the COVID research which can be popping out now, a lot of which haven’t been peer-reviewed.”
Cinti mentioned a viral an infection usually does present safety from additional an infection.
“Is there the potential for reinfection with COVID? Perhaps,” he mentioned. “However none of those research reply that query anyplace close to definitively. The one factor definitive is that we simply do not actually know.”
The U.S. Facilities for Illness Management recommends everybody 18 and older get vaccinated — whether or not or not they’ve had COVID, Cinti mentioned.
“It is sensible as a result of we all know the safety price with vaccination is about 95%, and we do not know what the safety price is for COVID sufferers,” he mentioned. “I think it is also that top, however we do not know that.”
