COVID-19
(Photo : Reuters)

A Nobel prize winner and other experts answered and explained a hypothetical question as to whether or not it is possible for a person to get infected by COVID-19 twice. 

Getting infected twice by COVID-19 is one of the most commonly asked questions. There were reports about COVID-19 patients who tested negative after days of quarantine, but tested positive again after experiencing the same symptoms.

Reports like these created confusion and fears in the community because they have the assumption that COVID-19 is a virus that can infect a person twice or even more. But the question that experts must answer is if it is true. If it is, how dangerous is it?

EXPLANATION OF NOBEL PEACE PRIZE WINNER

Peter Doherty, who won a Nobel Prize in 1996 in the field of Physiology and Medicine, is known for discovering how the immune system identified cells that have been infected by the virus. He is not quick to say either way regarding the theory that a person who was infected, and later tested negative, could be infected again.

In a recently published article, he said: "I would be skeptical. But you can't say with absolute certainty. I would think even if it was reinfection, that your prior infection would give you very rapid immunity and you would recover very quickly."

He also speculated that those who were discharged because their results suggest that they were clear for the virus were wrong.He said: "I suspect they've been infected all along. It's just that this area that's been sampled hasn't been detecting it. My guess would be we'd have pretty solid long-term immunity, quite frankly."

Professor Doherty does not believe that contracting COVID-19 twice is very likely. He instead said that if a person catches it twice, the prior infection would give a person rapid immunity. Doherty is also hoping that a vaccine will be available 12 to 18 months from now.

EXPLANATION OF OTHER EXPERTS

France Lund, professor, and chair of the department of microbiology at the University of Alabama at Birmingham said: "It is reasonable to predict we will have some immunity. To say you will have lifelong immunity? We just don't know yet. But I think it's a reasonable conclusion that you will have immunity for the rest of this season." 

Dr. Anthony Fauci, head of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said that he feels confident that if the new virus acts like other viruses, then once a person gets infected, gets better, and gets clear from the virus he or she will have immunity that will protect him or her from reinfection. 

In a recently published article, it was reported that COVID-19 is an RNA virus. This means that its genetic material is not made up of DNA. RNA viruses have the tendency to mutate over time just like Influenza that usually changes every year.

According to Dr. Tim Schacker, an infectious disease doctor and vice dean for research of the medical school at the University of Minnesota, that is the reason why there are new vaccines for flu every year. He said: "Influenza has been here forever; you're making antibodies to some parts of the virus all the time, but it's the novel parts of the virus that you want to have antibodies to." 

Joel Baines, a virologist at Louisiana University, said that it is hard to predict the new virus and what's going to happen. He said: "There's going to be a period of immunity, and it could be as little as eight months to a year, and as long as several years."  

Read related articles: