Monkeys infected with COVID-19 develop short-term immunity against reinfection: Study

Test monkeys infected with the novel Coronavirus were observed to develop short-term immunity against reinfection in China. Peking Union Medical College (PUMC) in China was experimenting on rhesus macaques, a species of old world monkeys, owing to their similarity to humans, on the effects of coronavirus on primates when they discovered something far more interesting.

The monkeys had developed a short-term immunity to the virus, even after showing signs of mild-to-moderate symptoms initially and taking about two weeks to recover, the primates were no longer under risk of transmitting or infecting the virus after 28 days since the first infection. 

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Scientists from PUMC picked up six rhesus macaques and infected their trachea (windpipe) with a dose of SARS-CoV02 virus to study how the virus impacted their system. By taking frequent samples, the scientists discovered that the viral infection capacity had peaked in just three days. 

The monkeys also showed a stronger immune response after the first dose of infection, producing more neutral antibodies to fight COVID-19, which according to the scientists, incidentally may have protected them from short-term reinfections. 

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Although this is a unique breakthrough in the study of COVID-19, the researchers admit that more experiments are needed to further the understanding of the monkeys' immune system and defence mechanisms.

In another similar case study conducted on monkeys in Chicago, in the month of May, scientists hinted that there was evidence to believe surviving COVID-19 may result in immunity from reinfection and that it is a positive sign since possible vaccines were also under development all over the world.

The researchers came to the conclusion by infecting a group of 9 monkeys with coronavirus and after they recovered, they showed no signs of sickness again despite the team exposing the primates to the virus again multiple times, under different laboratory conditions.
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