We'll only know retroa­ctivel­y'PARIS:Even as virologists zero in on the virus that causes Covid-19, a very basic question remains unanswered: do those who recover from the disease have immunity? There is no clear answer to this question, experts say, even if many have assumed that contracting the potentially deadly disease confers immunity, at least for a while. “That is not ideal.”Another pre-publication study that looked at 175 recovered patients in Shanghai showed different concentrations of protective antibodies 10 to 15 days after the onset of symptoms. “But whether that antibody response actually means immunity is a separate question,” commented Maria Van Kerhove, Technical Lead of the WHO Emergencies Programme. At the same time, laboratories are developing a slew of antibody tests to see what proportion of the population in different countries and regions have been contaminated.

Source: The Express Tribune April 17, 2020 15:22 UTC