Individuals infected with coronavirus are unlikely to catch the illness again for at least six months, researchers at the University of Oxford said Friday.
The finding comes as part of a large-scale study into Covid-19 reinfection after observations from healthcare professionals that the phenomenon was relatively rare.
Oxford University Professor David Eyre, one of the authors of the study, called the findings "really good news".
"We can be confident that, at least in the short term, most people who get Covid-19 won't get it again," he said.
The authors highlighted they had not yet gathered enough data to make a judgement on reinfection after six months.
However, the ongoing study has an end goal of verifying how long protection from reinfection lasts in total.
The director of infection prevention and control at study partners Oxford University Hospitals (OUH), Katie Jeffery, called the finding "exciting".
It indicated "that infection with the virus provides at least short-term protection from re-infection", she added.
US biotech firm Moderna announced this week its vaccine candidate was nearly 95 percent effective in a trial -- a week after similar results were announced by pharma giant Pfizer and its German partner BioNTech.
The World Health Organization (WHO) welcomed the study saying the findings extended its understanding of coronavirus protection.
"We really commend the researchers for doing those studies," WHO emergencies director Michael Ryan told reporters in Geneva, explaining the findings had delivered the "best data".
Ryan added the antibody response detailed in the research gave "hope for longer periods of protection" from vaccine candidates.
The Oxford study into reinfection drew on data from regular coronavirus testing of 12,180 health care workers at OUH over a period of 30 weeks.
It found that none of the 1,246 staff with coronavirus antibodies developed a symptomatic infection.
Three members of staff with antibodies did test positive for the virus that causes Covid-19 but were all well and did not develop symptoms.
The WHO said it is working with 50 countries where studies on antibody responses in different groups, such as in the general population or among healthcare workers, were taking place.
The UN health body said it was pooling those results to give a broader picture of how the pandemic was developing.
AFP RELAXNEWS
Sat Nov 21 2020
![Virus infection creates immunity for at least six months: Study Virus infection creates immunity for at least six months: Study](https://resizer-awani.eco.astro.com.my/tr:w-177,h-100,q-100,f-auto/https://img.astroawani.com/2020-11/41605948981_VACCINE.jpg)
WHO said it is working with 50 countries where studies on antibody responses in different groups, such as in the general population or among healthcare workers, were taking place. AFPRelaxpic
![Platform media sosial perlu letak tanda 'notis AI' dalam setiap kandungan AI dimuat naik - Fahmi Platform media sosial perlu letak tanda 'notis AI' dalam setiap kandungan AI dimuat naik - Fahmi](https://resizer-awani.eco.astro.com.my/tr:w-177,h-100,q-100,f-auto/https://img.astroawani.com/2024-08/41723708198_TBFAhmi.jpg)
Platform media sosial perlu letak tanda 'notis AI' dalam setiap kandungan AI dimuat naik - Fahmi
Platform media sosial dikehendaki meletakkan notis 'Kecerdasan Buatan (AI)' dalam setiap kandungan AI yang dimuat naik.
![Wajah, suara disalah guna 'scammer', Khairul Aming beri peringatan Wajah, suara disalah guna 'scammer', Khairul Aming beri peringatan](https://resizer-awani.eco.astro.com.my/tr:w-177,h-100,q-100,f-auto/https://img.astroawani.com/2024-08/41723702833_TBKhairulAming.jpg)
Wajah, suara disalah guna 'scammer', Khairul Aming beri peringatan
Khairul Aming meluahkan kebimbangan apabila pihak tidak bertanggungjawab menggunakan wajah dan suaranya untuk menjual barangan kepada golongan berusia.
MBSB Bank bekerjasama dengan INSKEN, MAIJ lancar program untuk komuniti asnaf
Program tersebut bertujuan untuk mentransformasikan kewangan sosial Islam dengan memperkasakan individu dalam komuniti asnaf melalui latihan intensif, sokongan kewangan dan bimbingan berterusan.
![Buli siber: Sophia Albarakbah kumpul bukti Buli siber: Sophia Albarakbah kumpul bukti](https://resizer-awani.eco.astro.com.my/tr:w-177,h-100,q-100,f-auto/https://img.astroawani.com/2024-08/61723696968_SophiaAlbarakbah.jpg)
Buli siber: Sophia Albarakbah kumpul bukti
Aktres Sophia Albarakbah kini giat mengumpul bukti untuk mengheret pihak tidak bertanggungjawab termasuk pembuli siber ke muka pengadilan.
![Suri rumah dilaporkan hilang, ditemui mati dibunuh dalam bilik Suri rumah dilaporkan hilang, ditemui mati dibunuh dalam bilik](https://resizer-awani.eco.astro.com.my/tr:w-177,h-100,q-100,f-auto/https://img.astroawani.com/2024-08/81723706198_TBsurirumahmaut.jpg)
Suri rumah dilaporkan hilang, ditemui mati dibunuh dalam bilik
Seorang wanita yang sebelum ini dilaporkan hilang ditemui meninggal dunia disyaki dibunuh dalam bilik tidur rumahnya di Indera Mahkota di sini pada petang Rabu.
![Faisal Halim bukti 'pendekar' sejati - Irfan Bakti Faisal Halim bukti 'pendekar' sejati - Irfan Bakti](https://resizer-awani.eco.astro.com.my/tr:w-177,h-100,q-100,f-auto/https://img.astroawani.com/2024-08/81723294016_FaisalHalim.jpg)
Faisal Halim bukti 'pendekar' sejati - Irfan Bakti
Faisal Halim layak dilabel pejuang sejati apabila mampu bangkit walaupun berdepan trauma selepas menjadi mangsa simbahan asid pada Mei lalu.
![Polis mohon bantuan kesan Raisya Rasyiqah Polis mohon bantuan kesan Raisya Rasyiqah](https://resizer-awani.eco.astro.com.my/tr:w-177,h-100,q-100,f-auto/https://img.astroawani.com/2024-08/61723705839_TBHilang.jpg)
Polis mohon bantuan kesan Raisya Rasyiqah
Polis memohon bantuan orang ramai mengesan seorang remaja perempuan berusia 15 tahun yang dilaporkan hilang di Beranang, Selangor.
![Simbah cat merah, orang suruhan ah long didenda RM3,000 Simbah cat merah, orang suruhan ah long didenda RM3,000](https://resizer-awani.eco.astro.com.my/tr:w-177,h-100,q-100,f-auto/https://img.astroawani.com/2024-08/51723705134_TBAhLong.jpg)
Simbah cat merah, orang suruhan ah long didenda RM3,000
Seorang orang suruhan ah long mengaku bersalah atas pertuduhan menyimbah cat merah di rumah keluarga peminjam, Januari lalu.
![Latihan berstruktur sektor ekonomi digital berjaya stabilkan pendapatan, perniagaan asnaf Latihan berstruktur sektor ekonomi digital berjaya stabilkan pendapatan, perniagaan asnaf](https://resizer-awani.eco.astro.com.my/tr:w-177,h-100,q-100,f-auto/https://img.astroawani.com/2024-08/51723705177_TBMyREF.jpg)
Latihan berstruktur sektor ekonomi digital berjaya stabilkan pendapatan, perniagaan asnaf
Lebih daripada 30 asnaf bersama ahli keluarga mereka telah diraikan di Majlis Graduasi MyREF Hijrahpreneur Skills Program (MyREF HSP) di Auditorium High Impact Research, Universiti Malaya.
![Polis sahkan pemain bola sepak bawa kerambit sebagai suspek kes baling bom petrol Polis sahkan pemain bola sepak bawa kerambit sebagai suspek kes baling bom petrol](https://resizer-awani.eco.astro.com.my/tr:w-177,h-100,q-100,f-auto/https://img.astroawani.com/2024-08/71723704577_RusdiMohdIsa.jpg)
Polis sahkan pemain bola sepak bawa kerambit sebagai suspek kes baling bom petrol
Polis telah mengenal pasti seorang pemain bola sepak yang ditahan kerana membawa kerambit ke padang bola, sebagai suspek kes baling bom petrol di sebuah pusat hiburan di ibu negara.
![UKM terajui kajian obesiti, penyakit tidak berjangkit bersama University of Oxford UKM terajui kajian obesiti, penyakit tidak berjangkit bersama University of Oxford](https://resizer-awani.eco.astro.com.my/tr:w-177,h-100,q-100,f-auto/https://img.astroawani.com/2022-03/61648122475_TBUKM.jpg)
UKM terajui kajian obesiti, penyakit tidak berjangkit bersama University of Oxford
UKM juga universiti pertama Malaysia yang menerajui kajian pengimejan melalui DXA berskala besar di peringkat antarabangsa.
![Berita antarabangsa pilihan sepanjang hari ini Berita antarabangsa pilihan sepanjang hari ini](https://resizer-awani.eco.astro.com.my/tr:w-177,h-100,q-100,f-auto/https://img.astroawani.com/2020-10/51604068023_BAP.jpg)
Berita antarabangsa pilihan sepanjang hari ini
Antara pelbagai berita luar negara yang disiarkan di Astro AWANI, berikut adalah antara yang paling menjadi tumpuan sepanjang hari ini.
![COVID-19: Vaksin dibangunkan Oxford akan diuji ke atas manusia pada Khamis COVID-19: Vaksin dibangunkan Oxford akan diuji ke atas manusia pada Khamis](https://resizer-awani.eco.astro.com.my/tr:w-177,h-100,q-100,f-auto/http://img.astroawani.com/2020-04/61587509802_AndrewPollard.jpg)
COVID-19: Vaksin dibangunkan Oxford akan diuji ke atas manusia pada Khamis
Vaksin yang berpotensi untuk COVID-19 yang dibangunkan di University of Oxford akan diuji ke atas manusia bermula Khamis ini.
![Media berperanan besar pengaruhi belia, ummah - Tokoh akademik Media berperanan besar pengaruhi belia, ummah - Tokoh akademik](https://resizer-awani.eco.astro.com.my/tr:w-177,h-100,q-100,f-auto/http://img.astroawani.com/2019-08/71566910333_MUHYIDDINPC.jpg)
Media berperanan besar pengaruhi belia, ummah - Tokoh akademik
Media berperanan besar dalam mempengaruhi minda golongan muda dan ummah untuk menjadi warganegara yang baik serta cemerlang dalam negara majmuk seperti Malaysia.