SARS-CoV-2 antibody-positivity protects against reinfection for at least seven months with 95% efficacy.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Reinfection with the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has been documented, raising public health concerns. SARS-CoV-2 reinfections were assessed in a cohort of antibody-positive persons in Qatar.

Methods

All SARS-CoV-2 antibody-positive persons from April 16 to December 31, 2020 with a PCR-positive swab ≥14 days after the first-positive antibody test were investigated for evidence of reinfection. Viral genome sequencing was conducted for paired viral specimens to confirm reinfection. Incidence of reinfection was compared to incidence of infection in the complement cohort of those who were antibody-negative.

Findings

Among 43,044 antibody-positive persons who were followed for a median of 16.3 weeks (range: 0-34.6), 314 individual

SUBMITTER: Abu-Raddad LJ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8079668 | biostudies-literature | 2021 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature