Contracting the coronavirus isn't just a one-time threat.
After it seemed some people who'd recovered from COVID-19 could contract the virus a second time, researchers in Hong Kong confirmed a reinfection for the first time earlier this week. Researchers in Nevada reported Friday that they'd also confirmed a reinfection in the U.S., and that the patient still experienced severe symptoms when contracting the virus again.
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The reinfection will have big implications for coronavirus vaccine developers worldwide, especially given how severe this case was compared to the one in Hong Kong. Promising vaccines have so far produced COVID-19 antibodies in human trials, but these cases of reinfection suggest the antibodies gained from catching COVID-19 don't necessarily guarantee immunity or even lessen the virus' symptoms the second time around.
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