WHO Clarifies That There Is “No Evidence” That Those Who Recovered from COVID-19 Are Safe from Reinfection

The World Health Organization (WHO) says they've yet to find evidence that guarantees protection from reinfection. They say that those who recuperated from COVID-19 and have antibodies do not necessarily have immunity to reinfection.

The WHO warned governments against issuing “immunity passports” or “risk-free certificates,” as per Fox Business. Some governments give such passports to those who have been infected. The WHO emphasized that those who recovered to COVID-19 do not automatically have immunity. In fact, the practice of giving such passports could increase the risks of continued spread.

“Some governments have suggested that the detection of antibodies to the SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, could serve as the basis for an ‘immunity passport’ or ‘risk-free certificate’ that would enable individuals to travel or to return to work assuming that they are protected against re-infection,” said the WHO.

“There is currently no evidence that people who have recovered from COVID-19 and have antibodies are protected from a second infection,” it also mentioned.

Bad Idea?

'No evidence' that recovered COVID-19 patients cannot be reinfected: W.H.O https://t.co/01PAadayfb

— FOX 29 (@FOX29philly) April 26, 2020

NPR reported that the statement comes after Chile’s announcement that it would start issuing immunity cards that act as passports. These cards will allow travelers to “clear security at airports with a document that purportedly shows they have recovered from the virus.”

According to the WHO, it continued to review the evidence on antibody responses to the virus. The WHO also said that most studies show that people who have recovered from infection have antibodies to the virus. However, some of them have very low levels of neutralizing antibodies in their blood. The organization says this finding suggests that cellular immunity would be quite important for recovery.

The WHO concluded the scientific brief with this statement: “At this point in the pandemic, there is not enough evidence about the effectiveness of antibody-mediated immunity to guarantee the accuracy of an ‘immunity passport’ or ‘risk-free certificate.’ People who assume that they are immune to a second infection because they have received a positive test result may ignore public health advice. The use of such certificates may, therefore, increase the risks of continued transmission.”

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