January 28, 2021 HARLOW, UK: Now that many questions regarding COVID-19, including its symptoms, risks and recovery time, have been answered, researchers are faced with a new dilemma: SARS-CoV-2 reinfection and immunity. Although unusual, it is evident that reinfections do occur, and in a recent study, researchers explored whether individuals who have recovered from COVID-19 are protected from future infection. The findings suggested that past infection may provide natural immunity and that the said immunity is effective for approximately half a year after the initial infection. In what is considered to be the largest study of SARS-CoV-2 reinfection, researchers in the UK recruited 6,614 healthcare workers. They received SARS-CoV-2 polymerase chain reaction and antibody testing every two to four weeks and completed questionnaires on their symptoms and exposures every two weeks. The researchers found that approximately 83% of the participants who had a prior history of SARS-CoV-2 infection showed a lower risk of becoming reinfected with the virus and that their immunity lasted for at least five months after primary infection. However, the researchers do not exclude the possibility that those previously infected may still be able to carry and transmit the virus.