Covid-19 - Survivors are likely to have immunanity to coronavirus for six months

According to Sweden's top epidemiologist, People who have survived from coronavirus are likely to be immune against the disease for six months.

Dr. Anders Tegnell, who has guided the nation through the pandemic without calling for a lockdown, says he is yet to see any proof of individuals getting infected twice since the start of the pandemic in December 2019.

In addition, he claimed that even if a coronavirus survivor doesn't develop antibodies — immune cells that do not forget how to fight the virus — they will be safeguarded.

A lot of proof is beginning to show that antibodies aren't the only type of immunity against Covid-19 and that T cells also play an important role.

There are high hopes that T cells that target and destroy cells already infected, would offer long-term protection, which may last for many years.

But scientists are yet to have any strong evidence as to how long immunity actually lasts once an individual has defeated Covid-19, mainly because it is still shrouded in secrecy and has only been known to exist since the start of the year.

According to the Telegraph, his comments about immunity lasting for six months were made at a press conference in Stockholm yesterday.

He said: 

"The risk of being reinfected and of transmitting the disease to other people is probably very close to zero.

"Therefore, we think you can meet other people, even if they are in a high-risk group. We don't see cases of people falling ill twice from Covid-19. 

"Hence, our assessment is if you do get Covid-19 you are immune, even if you don't develop antibodies."

There have been a number of cases of individuals who get infected more than once, although they are et to convince scientists that humans only get a short-lived immunity against the disease. 

Some infectious disease experts say it is just an issue with testing because old viral fragments that are not contagious are picked up by swabs taken weeks or months after a patient first became ill.

Dr. Tegnell did not explain what evidence he had to support his claims that immunity lasts for six months.