This is the current thinking on Immunity – Does It Exist With Covid-19?
Our take home message from recent studies on antibodies and immunity, is that a primary infection with SARS-CoV-2 provides at least 94% protection against symptomatic reinfection for at least 5 months. This suggests that natural infection provides short term protection against Covid-19 that is very similar to that conferred by vaccination.
Importantly, natural infection induces approx. 75% protection against asymptomatic reinfection, suggesting that people who have recovered from SARS-Cov-2 infection are much less likely to transmit the virus to others. This is good news in terms of the long term trends of the pandemic. However, asymptomatic reinfections are not zero, so you cannot assume that just because you have had the virus before that you can’t be infectious.
These data reinforce the message that, for the time being, everyone should consider themselves to be a potential source of infection for others and should behave accordingly. Wear a mask, avoid crowded closed poorly ventilated spaces wherever possible and wash your hands.
These reported protective ‘efficacy’ results for natural SARS-COV-2 infection are comparable to the current COVID-19 vaccines.
Having the vaccine after recovering from COVID-19 is not an issue or contraindication – and will likely boost the natural immunity. We also see this with the seasonal flu vaccine
Conclusion: The good news is that there is significant evidence that reinfections of Covid-19 is rare, at least at this stage, and that having antibodies will provide protection for a meaningful amount of time, although it may not be lifelong immunity. Get the vaccine too!