Coronavirus reinfections: three questions scientists are asking

Coronavirus reinfections: three questions scientists are asking

Three questions about reinfections

Last month, news broke of a man living in Hong Kong who had been infected with the coronavirus for a second time, months after recovering from a bout of COVID-19. The reinfection did not cause symptoms. Less than a week later, reports of another reinfection emerged — this time in Nevada, and with more-severe symptoms. Researchers are studying these cases to understand whether the world can rely on people’s immune systems to mitigate the pandemic. They want to know how common reinfections are, whether they will be more or less severe and what implications they have for vaccine prospects.

Nature | 7 min read