Can people who already recovered develop immunity to COVID-19? They are "very likely" to be immune to the virus, according to a top pharma CEO.
Severin Schwan, CEO Swiss pharmaceutical giant Roche, said that people who regained their health after contracting the virus are “very likely” to build immunity to COVID-19.
In an interview on CNBC’s “Squawk Box Europe” on Monday, Schwan pointed out that while being immune to the illness is possible, the world needs more research.
“We know from other coronaviruses that it’s very likely as soon as you have gone through an infection you will also acquire immunity,” he said.
“But this still, nevertheless, has to be proven over time. We need studies to really see whether those people who have been infected once are subject to reinfection. But there’s a high likelihood that this will be the case," he added.
Schwan’s comments came after scientists in South Korea suggest that the virus cannot reinfect humans anymore.
However, records show that people in China, Japan, and South Korea are getting ill with the coronavirus for the second time. Last week, researchers from the South Korean Centers for Disease Control and Prevention blamed testing failures for such phenomenon.
Meanwhile, the World Health Organization (WHO) emphasized in April the lack of strong evidence on reinfection. With this, justifying the issuance of so-called “immunity passports” is unlikely. Immunity passports would allow those who were already infected by the virus to live a normal life again.
Antibody tests
The coronavirus antibody test from Roche received emergency use authorization from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, according to the company's announcement on Sunday. With this, the antibody test would be made available in the US and markets that recognize the European CE standards mark.
The company explained its antibody test is at least 99.8% accurate in identifying antibodies to the virus. This means it can detect the exposure of an individual to COVID-19.
Roche will hold antibody tests this month “in the high double-digit millions,” Schwan told CNBC on Monday. The pharmaceutical firm plans to multiply those figures over the year.
“It’s highly reliable, it’s a very precise test, and indeed that has been an issue with the first generation of tests,” he said. “So now, patients and societies can rely on a highly, highly precise test.”
He pointed out that the tests can help countries that aim to reopen their economies after the lockdown.
“Antibody testing allows broad testing so we get a much clearer picture of how much the pandemic has spread, whether infection rates continue to increase or decrease, and over time as soon as we know whether we also acquire immunity it will allow people to return to work and to normalize our societies,” Schwan said.
“So I think they’re really important — it’s a big step forward.”
Health authorities can use Roche’s new test with existing lab instruments. The company alone runs more than 40,000 platforms worldwide, where qualified personnel can perform the antibody tests.
Roche is the world's largest biotech company with 17 biopharmaceuticals on the market.
