Irish public health officials are reportedly advising that recovered coronavirus patients have short-term immunity

Ireland Government Buildings. — (Image credit: BEN STANSALL/AFP via Getty Images)

Ireland's National Public Health Emergency Team reportedly advised the country's Health Service Executive last week that recovered coronavirus patients have at least short-term immunity to COVID-19, RTE reports.

The actual guidance remains uncertain and is not yet public, so it's not clear how and why the NPHET reportedly settled on its stance. It's also unknown what happens after the suggested time frame of potential immunity expires. But Dr. Tony Holohan, the chief medical officer for the Irish Department of Health, said during a recent press conference that the department has accepted advice that people who have had lab confirmed cases of COVID-19 within the last three months could be regarded as "having an immunity, such that they could return to work," adding that experts will continually assess the situation.

There's been a lot of confusion about potential immunity to the coronavirus, so it's worth keeping an eye on what Ireland reveals about its findings going forward.

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Tim is a staff writer at The Week and has contributed to Bedford and Bowery and The New York Transatlantic. He is a graduate of Occidental College and NYU's journalism school. Tim enjoys writing about baseball, Europe, and extinct megafauna. He lives in New York City.