According to the study, there is probably five months of protection against re-infection after a corona infection

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According to a study, after surviving a corona infection, people are very likely protected from re-infection for at least five months.

However, there are indications that people with antibodies could spread the virus, according to a study by the English health authority published on Thursday.

"We now know that most of those who had the virus and developed antibodies are protected from re-infection," said Susan Hopkins, senior medical advisor at Public Health England (PHE) and co-lead the study.

However, this protection is not complete.

How long this lasts is also open.

After surviving an infection, a severe Covid 19 disease is highly unlikely.

"But there is still the risk of contracting an infection and passing it on to others." There had been repeated reports of reinfection cases.

However, the study cannot make any statements about the effects of vaccines at this point in time.

The study has so far only been published in a preliminary form and has not yet been reviewed by specialist colleagues.

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Tens of thousands of people working in the UK healthcare system take part in the so-called Siren Study.

They have been tested regularly for both corona infection and antibodies since June.

Of the 6,614 participants who tested positive for antibodies, there were only 44 possible new infections, according to the study.

It is said that 83 percent of people who are already infected are protected from re-infection.

Experts who were not involved in the study spoke of important findings.

"These data reinforce the message that for the time being everyone is a potential source of infection for others and should act accordingly," said Eleanor Riley, Professor of Immunology and Infectious Diseases at Edinburgh University.

Simon Clark of Reading University said, “This means that the vast majority of the population must either have natural immunity or have been vaccinated so that we can completely remove the restrictions in our lives.

Unless we are prepared for many more people to be infected and die of Covid-19. "

A study by the University of Oxford published in December in the New England Journal of Medicine, which also examined health care workers, found that most of the subjects had immunity for at least six months.