LOS ANGELES - Researchers from the National Institutes of Health say they have found evidence that people who have been previously infected by the novel coronavirus appear to be protected against reinfection, though the extent to which that protection holds up against emerging variants remains unclear. "The data from this study suggest that people who have a positive result from a commercial antibody test appear to have substantial immunity to SARS-CoV-2, which means they may be at lower risk for future infection," said Dr.
Lynne Penberthy, associate director of NCI’s Surveillance Research Program, which led the study."Additional research is needed to understand how long this protection lasts, who may have limited protection, and how.