Covid-19 survivors shouldn’t have to self-isolate if they develop symptoms of the disease because they aren’t likely to be infectious, government scientific advisers suggest
- Sage studied evidence which found it’s likely survivors can’t be infected again
- But admitted it is unclear how long this coronavirus ‘immunity’ would last for
- Experts dismissed idea of immunity passports, an idea once floated by ministers
Coronavirus survivors shouldn’t have to self-isolate if they develop more symptoms of the disease, according to the government’s scientific advisers.
Number 10’s SAGE panel pointed to evidence from top virologists that shows Covid-19 patients can’t be re-infected within a few months.
And they said survivors aren’t likely to be that infectious if they do still have traces of the virus in their body weeks after their battle with the disease.
But experts dismissed the idea of ‘immunity passports’, an idea once considered by ministers to get Britain back to work after the lockdown was eased.
The passports — which Matt Hancock admitted may come in the form of wristbands — would reveal someone has already had disease.
Minutes from a SAGE meeting last month warned it would be ‘premature’ to roll-out the certificates because the truth on immunity is still a mystery.
Scientists still do not know for sure whether people can catch Covid-19 more than once, or if they become immune after their first infection.
Because the virus was only first discovered in December, infectious disease experts have not had the opportunity to work out how it affects people in the long-term.
Coronavirus survivors shouldn’t have to self-isolate even if they develop more symptoms of Covid-19, according to the Government’s scientific advisors
SAFE advisers revealed patients are ‘much less likely to be infectious’ if they have antibodies and test positive for the virus itself.
Antibodies are substances produced by the immune system which store memories of how to fight off a specific virus.
It can take patients several weeks to develop enough antibodies to be detected in a test.
Scientists say this suggests patients have already faced the worst part of the disease — when they are thought to be most contagious — by the time they get antibodies.
And SAGE said: ‘PCR testing is highly sensitive and can identify presence of the virus long after an individual has ceased to be infectious.’
So far, there have been no scientifically proven cases of someone catching it twice, with experts tending to blame inaccurate test results or lengthy illness.
Some researchers claim it is not uncommon for parts of viruses to keep circulating even after recovery.
According to minutes of the meeting last month, SAGE claimed the evidence ‘offers a way forward for releasing individuals from self-isolation or quarantine’.
But they added: ‘It is possible, based on animal studies, an individual with antibodies could still shed the virus and be infectious.’
Minutes also revealed: ‘Sage advised, based on current understanding, it would be premature to introduce immunity passports.’
And they cautioned that the use of antibody positive tests for short-term decisions ‘may be possible’ — but did not specify what they would be.
Currently everyone in Britain is told to self-isolate for 10 days if they test positive for coronavirus or develop tell-tale symptoms.
The meeting was chaired by No10’s chief scientific adviser Sir Patrick Vallance and England’s chief medical officer Professor Chris Whitty also attended.
Sage’s findings — based on a paper from Imperial College London — are currently being studied by the Department for Health, according to the I.
A Whitehall source told the newspaper that applying different rules for people who have tested positive in the antibodies test is risky.
Commercially-available antibody tests aren’t currently reliable enough and may not work if they are used at the wrong time, experts fear.
The Department for Health said: ‘We are always looking at and guided by the latest scientific advice.
‘This is a new disease and how the immune system responds following infection with the virus remains uncertain.
‘We are undertaking some of the largest studies in the world to assess the strength and duration of immunity.’