Just like the common cold, COVID-19 can strike the same spot twice once our immunity to the virus fades.
“It’s pretty rare for people to get a reinfection, though we know it can happen,” says Les Cler, MD, FACP, CPE, chief medical officer at Methodist Dallas Medical Center.
Antibodies, our bodies’ natural defense against infections, are incredibly efficient at fighting viruses, but they have limitations. Eventually, their tailor-made immunity wears down, and we can get sick again.
“It’s probably more likely to occur in people who are high risk to begin with,” says Dr. Cler’s colleague Ed Dominguez, MD, infectious disease specialist.
That’s why it’s so important to protect yourself and any loved ones at high risk around you, even after an initial bout with COVID-19.