Scientists are still trying to understand whether a person who has recovered
from COVID-19 will have a natural immunity in the future.
A very small study still to be peer-reviewed showed that monkeys that had recovered from COVID-19, did not get the disease when exposed to it the second time. The human immune system also uses memory
to protect the body from a relapse of viruses like measles, chickenpox, polio, etc. Many of those who were infected by the SARS epidemic in 2002-03, gained immunity for about 8-10 years.
MERS survivors too had become immune to the disease for about a couple of years. This means a person who has recovered from COVID-19 will have some form of immunity. However, what doctors are unsure of is
whether this immunity will be for lifelong or will be for a short duration.
Even if the body does not gain full immunity a second bout of the disease is likely to be much milder. This is another reason why blood plasma
of patients who have recovered from COVID-19 is now being used to treat the most critical patients.
