The World Health Organization (WHO) has dismissed claims that people who have recovered from Coronavirus (COVID-19) are not prone to being re-infected
The United Nations (UN) health agency said on Saturday that there is no evidence to support claims “that people who have recovered from COVID-19 and have antibodies are protected from a second infection.”
WHO was reacting to speculations in some quarters that people who survive an infection may develop antibodies that can attack the virus and prevent their reinfection.
In a statement released to clear the air on the assumption, WHO warned against issuing ‘immunity passports’ or ‘risk-free certificates’ to people who have been infected.
According to the statement, such practice may actually increase the risk of spreading the virus as those involved may ignore standard advice and precautionary measures.
WHO’s warning is coming against the backdrop of Chile, penultimate week, saying it would begin handing out ‘health passports’ to people deemed to have recovered from the illness.
Authorities of the South American country said once screened to determine if such persons have developed antibodies to make them immune to the virus, they could immediately rejoin the workforce.
Antibodies are proteins in the blood which reveal if someone has already fought off an infection, including the deadly coronavirus.
The United Nations agency explained that while most people appear to have produced antibodies to the COVID-19 virus in their recovery, it is not known if the presence of these antibodies in the blood is enough to stop a second infection.
“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”, the WHO advisory said. – With agency report
