Despite the uncertainty surrounding coronavirus, cases of reinfection aren’t what they seem

The recent confirmation that people can be reinfected with the virus is a moment many virologists have been waiting for – but there’s no need to panic, writes Samuel Lovett

The first official case of reinfection from coronavirus was reported in Hong Kong this week (AFP via Getty Images)

The revelation that some people can be reinfected with Sars-CoV-2, the virus responsible for Covid-19, will have sent a shiver down the spine of many. Confirmation first came from Hong Kong, where scientists proved via genome sequencing that a man had been infected with two different strains of the pathogen, before similar reports surfaced in the Netherlands and Belgium.

Understandably, such developments have raised concern over the the effectiveness and longevity of the natural immune response triggered among those who have been infected with the virus. Likewise, questions are now being asked over what role a vaccine will be able to play during the course of the pandemic: will vaccination offer sufficient, long-lasting protection? Will booster shots be required? Is there a chance of retransmission?

But amid this climate of uncertainty, those attempting to decipher the mystery of the virus have insisted there is no need to panic. “It should be no surprise to anyone that there has been reinfections,” Jonathan Stoye, a virologist at the Francis Crick Institute, tells The Independent. “We’ve always known this was a possibility.”