Previous Infection Just as Protective as Vaccine

Two recent studies — one that tested an entire town in Italy — show that antibodies naturally acquired after having a COVID infection last at least nine months and a previous infection with COVID is just as protective as a vaccine.

Researchers from the University of Padua and Imperial College London also found that the symptoms and severity of a COVID infection have no bearing on a person’s immunity response. There also was no difference in immunity between people who had severe symptoms of COVID-19 and those who had no symptoms at all.

Scientists said behavioral factors that could help reduce the transmission of COVID include social distancing, limiting the number of contacts and mask wearing, even among highly vaccinated groups.

"There may be people who get infected with this variant even though they are vaccinated or were previously infected, but they shouldn't get severe disease," said study lead Yoshihiro Kawaoka, a professor of virology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Veterinary Medicine and the University of Tokyo.