THERE IS growing evidence that COVID-19 victims are immune from catching the virus a second time.
That’s according to Professor Like O’Neill, an immunologist from Trinity College, who has highlighted the growing body of evidence that indicates re-infection is unlikely.
Speaking on Newstalk’s Pat Kenny Show, Professor O’Neill pointed to several studies coming out of the US suggesting it provides some form of protection.
To illustrate his point, the immunologist pointed to a case study of a fishing boat in Seattle where, back in May, over 100 sailors ended up being infected with the virus.
Some 122 fishermen were tested for the virus and the antibodies before setting off.
Three sailors, who were found to have very high levels of antibodies, did not end up getting re-infecting while onboard the ship.
“The ones who caught it were the ones who hadn’t had before,” Professor O’Neill explained, adding that it represents a “really nice piece of evidence that if you have been infected you won’t catch it again”.
(Photo by PAUL FAITH/AFP via Getty Images)A total of 103 fishermen, however, did end up being infected.
Incredibly, the outbreak was sparked by a single person, who was the only sailor to test positive for coronavirus before boarding, in what Professor O’Neill believes is a prime demonstration of how contagious COVID-19 is.
“Obviously there were close quarters, they’re all living below deck. So it was a perfect environment for the virus to spread. But then there you have the three who had the armour up basically, the antibodies were in their bodies, and they didn’t get infected,” he said.
“It’s a small study of course, we need to see it replicated, the usual scientific caveats, but to me, this is the start of this now, the first piece of scientific evidence that if you’ve had it, you should be protected.”
The immunologist also noted evidence from other scientific tests that showed monkeys couldn’t be re-infected.
See More: Coronavirus, Covid-19, Immunologist
