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Covid-19 Reinfection: Antibodies May Not Protect You Again from Getting Infected
It's been more than one year that the world is still suffering from coronavirus and every corner of the world is eagerly waiting for the safe distribution of an effective vaccine. In India, the currently active cases of Covid 19 is about 2, 28,168 while above 1,51,552 number of people have already lost their lives. As of now, everyone must have various knowledge about this virus but there are still several things that need to be cleared. While various misconceptions are airing about this virus among which the most common is that people won't get re-infected with the virus if they've already been affected and got recovered just because of the presence of antibodies. But trusting antibodies is just not enough. Certain reports are still showing that some people are still getting re-infected with the virus. We still don't have effective and proven research on how strong the antibody is to fight against the virus or how much time the antibodies need to develop after a recent COVID19 infection will protect a person.
Dr Anita Mathew, Infectious Disease Specialist at Fortis Hospital, Mulund said, "Researchers continue to state that the life and strength of antibodies need to be studied deeply; this would require conducting large studies with a wider range of people who have recently recovered from COVID-19. The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) is studying the reinfection episodes among those who have been treated. While more data-driven facts are awaited, it needs to be understood we cannot take antibodies for granted; they do not make for an 'immunity passport' as the World Health Organization (WHO) aptly put it".
"There's a need to take a closer look at how the vaccine deployment program will progress, how soon each of us will get the jab, and why it is important to get vaccinated," she added.
However, It's not easy to identity the re-infected virus. it's quite complicated. But the Covid-19 reinfection cases are comparatively lesser but it can expand with time. However, it must be noted that the one who has recovered from this virus must not roam around carelessly without following norms because cases of reinfection are growing.
Why vaccination is important?
Dr Mathew explains that if you get vaccinated that it will help you in preventing from being severely ill, even though you get infected, it is going to protect people surrounding you especially those at high risk.
We must wait until we get a safe and effective vaccine but we must not commit the mistake of taking antibodies for granted because it may not be enough to fight against re-infection.