The Nuance
Getting the Coronavirus Twice Is Highly Unlikely (in the Short Term)
Experts worry about what could happen if there’s no vaccine
Since the early days of Covid-19, the disease caused by the new coronavirus called SARS-CoV-2, South Korea’s thorough testing and monitoring practices have been the envy of public health agencies around the world. Much of what science now knows about the novel coronavirus is based on that country’s data.
Back in April, that data pointed to a frightening phenomenon: Some people who had recovered from Covid-19 seemed to be experiencing a second infection. According to reporting from NPR, South Korean public health officials had identified 163 people who tested positive for the virus following hospital discharge. Similar reports have since cropped up in China. These reports have led to speculation that people could be reinfected with the coronavirus or that it could somehow “reactivate” in a person’s body.
While doctors can’t yet eliminate either possibility, follow-up research suggests that a dangerous relapse or reinfection is unlikely — at least in the short term.
“Experience suggests that people who have been infected and recovered will be protected for some…
