WHO officials say coronavirus antibodies may wane after several months

World Health Organization officials said Monday that patients who recover from Covid-19 may be able to get the coronavirus again, adding that studies suggest their immunity may wane after a few months. 

Emphasizing that scientists don’t yet have a complete answer,  Dr. Maria Van Kerkhove, head of the WHO’s emerging diseases and zoonosis unit, said patients “do mount some level of an immune response.”

“What we don’t know is how strong that protection is and for how long that protection will last,” she said at a news conference at the organization’s Geneva headquarters. “So there are a number of studies under way that are trying to answer these questions.”

Dr. Mike Ryan, executive director of the WHO’s health emergencies program, also said there isn’t enough data to know if this particular coronavirus can cause reinfection in people who have antibodies.

“We do know with other coronaviruses that is the case and there is some data out there that may suggest that immunity will wane over time but that is not fully known at this point,” he said. 

This is a developing story. Check back here for updates.