On this week’s COVID-19 update, Luke looks at the common cold and testing.
Professor O’Neill also warned that recent studies have suggested that COVID-19 immunity may not last as long as hoped.
He said a new study on the coronaviruses that cause the common cold has found that, on average, people can get reinfected with the same virus with nine to 12 months.
“One-in-five colds we get are caused by coronaviruses,” he said. “It is obviously a much milder disease but they are in the same family and there are a huge number of similarities between the viruses that cause a cold and the one that causes COVID-19.
“So, it is an important question can you get re-infected with the same cold virus? A big study has just come out suggesting, sadly, there is evidence for reinfection with the same virus.
“What they have shown is that, on average, about nine to 12 months afterwards you can pick up the same virus again and get re-infected and we would assume it is going to be somewhat similar with COVID-19.”
He said this could mean that any COVID-19 vaccine will have to be taken once or twice a year to be effective.
