If you've already had COVID-19, don't let your guard down.
New information from Dr. Myra Wilkerson, head of medical laboratories at Geisinger Health, suggests people who have been diagnosed with the novel coronavirus in the past are getting it again, despite having the antibodies in their system once believed to protect patients from reinfection.
"You can get it again, or at least it appears that way," Dr. Wilkerson said. "We don’t understand why the immunity doesn't seem to be lasting. People are responding differently. For some people it might last, we just don't know enough about the virus yet, it’s too new."
Geisinger is seeing an increase in patients getting antibody tests. However, doctors are now warning people if tests come back that show you've had COVID-19 before, it is not a free pass.
Doctors stress to keep wearing masks or face coverings, and maintain six feet of social distancing. If you do have antibodies for COVID-19 in your system, you can also donate your plasma.
"We work with our blood suppliers to get you set up for donation," Wilkerson said. "You have enough antibodies circulating in your blood at that point that it will help somebody else to recover faster."
Wilkerson suggests if you do donate your plasma, to wait 1 to 2 weeks after you are symptom-free.
We`re starting to find out is how long that immunity lasts. People are actually getting reinfected.
and we`re suspecting that during flu season when people are getting another virus and more susceptible, that we may see a resurgence and people getting it again as well