GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) — With more people being infected with COVID-19, more people will be recovering and that means a chance at some immunity.
However, health officials warn there are still too many unknowns and all people should always be following safety recommendations.
Brian Simons, a Green Bay resident, is close to feeling 100% after having a mild case of coronavirus in early October, but he says recovery hasn’t changed his pandemic lifestyle.
“The group of folks that I do hang out with is still a very tight small group that we all take the precautions needed. I’m still living the same way I would have otherwise,” said Simons.
From the CDC to local providers, healthcare officials are telling people like Simons to still wear a mask and social distance. That’s even though they likely have a period of immunity after recovering from COVID-19.
“There is evidence that out until 90 days it’s highly unlikely that someone would get re-infected with COVID, so there are some specific recommendations around people who have had COVID for the next 90 days following their illness,” said Dr. Jennifer Frank, Chief Medical Officer for ThedaCare.
Dr. Frank says one recommendation is recovered people don’t need to quarantine if they are re-exposed to the virus within 90 days. Another is they likely don’t have to get tested in that timeframe, because remnants of the virus could cause a positive test.
“Because there is a potential for reinfection, even if it is small, that if they did develop new symptoms of COVID, we would test them,” said Frank. “There have been a few reports of people who have been re-infected with COVID.”
While that is the guidance for 90 days, Frank warns some people could have immunity for a much shorter time than others.
“So, for that reason, we are still recommending that people take all of the same precautions even if they’ve been diagnosed with COVID,” said Frank.
“So, I should still wear a mask for other people’s safety and still social distance and all the things we’ve all been doing even prior to me being infected because now it’s not about me, it’s about others,” said Simons.
Dr. Frank used Influenza as an example for why recovered COVID patients should still mask up and social distance. She says you can get Influenza A and B in the same season and it’s unknown if people could be infected with multiple strains of coronavirus.
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