Recovered COVID-19 Patients Can Recontract Virus If Antibodies Start Depleting: ICMR

New Delhi: The patients, who have recovered from COVID-19, can again be infected if the antibodies start depleting, said the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) on Tuesday.

Speaking at the weekly press briefing of the Union Health Ministry, Balram Bhargava, Director-General of ICMR said there are multiple studies which suggest that the antibodies that develop after COVID-19 sustain for upto five months. But, people can recontract the infection, if antibodies start depleting from the body, he added.

Hence, he stressed on following all precautionary measures such as wearing mask, staying cautious and not relying on antibodies to astray the re-contraction. “Even after contracting the virus, one must not avoid using a mask,” he said.

Bhargava informed that the ICMR is conducting an assessment on the reinfection as commissioned by the Union Health Ministry, and its result will be out shortly.

Earlier, Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan had informed that the ICMR had set up a committee of experts to study reported cases of reinfection among COVID-19 patients. Three cases of reinfection including two from Mumbai and one from Ahmedabad have been reported in the country so far, according to ICMR.

The medical council had set the cut-off date for depletion of antibodies for the assessment at 100 days from the day of infection.