Can you get COVID twice? Doctor answers questions about immunity

DAYTON — The third wave of the coronavirus pandemic has proven to be the worst yet.

As the number of cases, hospitalizations and deaths rise, people are worried about catching the virus, but what about those who have already been diagnosed with and recovered from COVID-19?

Dr. Iahn Gonsenhauser, chief quality and patient safety officer at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, says doctors still have a lot to study about in terms of coronavirus reinfection.

“We have seen cases of reinfection. They’ve been very rare,” says Gonsenhauser. “There have only been a handful of them globally that we’ve seen reported, but we have seen people who have had this infection more than once.”

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It is not clear if variables like sex, age or race play a role in the likelihood of reinfection.

If you have recovered from COVID-19, doctors are working on a definite timeline as to when you could be at risk of catching the virus again.

“We know right now six weeks to three months is kind of the working timeframe we’ve been working with. We have evidence that supports that,” says Gonsenhauser.

A reinfection timeframe will be solidified as health officials get more data and conduct more studies. And of course, our body’s immunity could change with the addition of a COVID-19 vaccine.

Cox Media Group