Already Had COVID? You Should Still Take Precautions, Researchers Say Reported cases of people getting reinfected with SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, are rare in the U.S. and none have been confirmed by the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. But researchers say studying possible reinfections could answer some big questions about the body’s natural immune response after being infected with the virus. Libby resident Kaide Dodson says her bout with COVID-19 in early August was unbearable. "I remember just thinking, I can't breathe. I cannot get a breath of air. So I was trying not to panic."