Immunologist Warns Coronavirus Immunity Can Be 'Short-Lived'

Dr. Danny Altmann warned that immunity to the deadly coronavirus may be short-lived. He, also, told CNBC's "Squawk Box Europe," Monday, that only 10% to 15% of the population of a city or town is likely to develop immunity to COVID-19.

Altmann, who is an immunology professor at Imperial College London, explained that immunity to the virus appears "fragile" and slowly wanes over a few months. He added that people who develop antibodies should not let their guards down as it does not look like a safe bet at the moment. “It’s a very deceitful virus and immunity to it is very confusing and rather short-lived,” he told the network.

Altmann, also, warned that the second wave of coronavirus infection may just be around the corner. But, governments may be better prepared to deal with another outbreak compared to the time when the virus first held the world hostage earlier this year. He told CNBC that anyone who may be thinking the virus has gotten milder or even gone away or that the issue is going to sort itself out is only kidding themselves.

He, also, reminded everyone that it is not that easy to come up with a vaccine. While there may be over 100 undergoing trial at the moment, hundreds of things can go wrong and Altmann is not betting on it anytime soon.

Spreading Rapidly

Recently, the World Health Organization warned, in a press briefing, that the threat of virus infection continues to hang in the air as many countries have started lifting their lockdown measures in an attempt to repair their damaged economies. “Although many countries have made some progress, globally, the pandemic is actually speeding up,” WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on June 29.

In the U.S., many states have begun re-imposing restrictions amid an increase in coronavirus cases and hospitalizations. This included the shutting down of beaches over the Fourth of July weekend. The latest data on the global status of the pandemic shows that over 11.5 million people tested positive, of which more than 535,400 lost their lives.

Finding The Balance

Dr. Altmann said that the government needs to find a balance between protecting individual persons and preventing the economy from crashing. He warned, however, that the main objective is still to curb the spread of infections. He explained that any decisions made should be guided by medical and scientific facts. “And doing the right thing means everything you can do to block transmission,” he concluded.