Research shows both coronavirus infection and vaccination offers immunity that can protect people from getting sick again. But by how much and for how long remains unclear — a scientific gap that only time could fill.
Regardless of how immunity is acquired, there’s no telling whose bodies will or won’t create effective antibodies, and why they last longer for some than others; doctors speculate age or certain medical conditions might play a role.
It also doesn’t help that the testing shortage that plagued the nation at the beginning of the pandemic will forever shield researchers from understanding the true impact of COVID-19.
