Immunity to the Coronavirus May Persist for Years, Scientists Find Important immune cells survive in the bone marrow of people who were infected with the virus or were inoculated against it, new research suggests. The studies may soothe fears that immunity to the virus is transient, as is the case with coronaviruses that cause common colds.Credit...Christopher Capozziello for The New York Times May 26, 2021, 1:03 p.m. ET Immunity to the coronavirus lasts at least a year, possibly a lifetime, improving over time especially after vaccination, according to two new studies. The findings may help put to rest lingering fears that protection against the virus will be short-lived.