The novel coronavirus appears to have turned all the usual assumptions of a microbe on their head. We had hoped India’s high temperatures would neutralize this virus.
It may have slowed its spread, at best, but isn’t going away. More alarmingly, the immunity that a recovered covid patient was expected to develop—thanks to antibodies generated within the body—may not be something we can rely upon either.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), there is no guarantee that the virus won’t sicken such an individual again.
As various countries prepare to exit their lockdowns, a few are said to be considering “immunity passports" or “risk-free certificates" issued to once-sick individuals so that they can travel and/or return to work.