Can I get it twice? Herd immunity, vaccines, and COVID-19: A Q&A with Dr. Bill Moss - Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center

As researchers continue to learn more about the novel coronavirus, a critical goal has been understanding how the immune system recovers from COVID-19, and how long any potential immunity might last.

In this Q&A, Dr. Bill Moss, professor and executive director of the International Vaccine Access Center at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, discusses all there is to know about COVID-19 immunity. Dr. Moss confirms that on some level someone who has recovered from a novel coronavirus infection is immune from the virus. That being said, he highlights that it is not yet known how strong the immunity is, or how long it lasts. Some evidence exists that recovered patients will be immune; but there is no way of knowing for how long. For this reason, it is important that until we know for sure, recovered patients must still practice social distancing and wear masks for the safety of everyone. Dr. Moss notes that by the end of the year, we will know much more about the immune system response to the virus, which will help us reach a safe, effective vaccine.