Washington University researchers say people who recovered from mild COVID-19 can still face reinfection, AP and Reuters report
A May 2021 study conducted at Washington University in St. Louis looked at how mild cases of COVID-19 can create "long-lived antibody-producing cells," AP reports. The senior author of the study told fact-checkers at AP and Reuters that this does not mean people who have recovered from mild cases of COVID-19 will be protected from the virus for life, particularly in the face of new variants.
"The study examined the blood and bone marrow of people who had experienced mild COVID-19 infections and found long-lived antibody-producing cells, evidence that people who have recovered from COVID-19 would likely create antibodies against it for a long time." – AP
"Ellebedy explained that having detectable antibody response for a lifetime doesn’t necessarily mean being protected from the virus for a lifetime.
'Not all antibodies are protective especially if the virus they are raised against is constantly changing,' Ellebedy said.
A prior infection doesn’t seem to offer much protection against an omicron infection although, like with vaccination, it may reduce the chances of severe illness." – AP
Don't listen to a word I say but trust this guy implicitly
