Got COVID? Here’s how long immunity might last as new variants emerge
Global News
Infection-acquired immunity from catching COVID-19 can act as a protective layer for a period of time, but it wanes and is not guaranteed, experts warn.
A bout of COVID-19 infection may not be enough for long-lasting immunity as the virus continues to mutate and new variants emerge.
Infection-acquired immunity from catching COVID-19 can act as a protective layer for a period of time, but that protection wanes just as vaccine-induced immunity does, experts say, noting infection from one variant may not provide any protection against another.
In Canada and globally, the Omicron sub-variant BA.5 is dominant, but the World Health Organization (WHO) is tracking hundreds of others.
Since its emergence in late 2019, COVID-19 has produced multiple mutations with Alpha, Beta, Gamma, Delta and Omicron so far characterized as variants of concern.
COVID-19 infection does not always result in a good immune response, experts say — and reinfections can happen.
So, how long are you immune to COVID-19 after infection?
Just like with vaccine-induced immunity, by the sixth month, there is “literally no protection left” from infection-acquired immunity, said Dr. Catherine Hankins, a professor in the School of Population and Global Health at McGill University, and co-chair of Canada’s COVID-19 Immunity Task Force.
The type of variant one is infected with also plays a role in so-called natural immunity.
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