WHO "Some Recovered Patients Lack Immune Antibodies"...Oppose Lifting Lockdown Measures

[Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunwoo Lee] As the spread of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) slows down in countries such as the United States and Europe, there are movements to partially ease lockdown measures, but the World Health Organization (WHO) has stepped in to halt this. WHO warned that some recovered COVID-19 patients do not show immune antibodies, raising concerns about reinfection.

According to foreign media including CNBC, on the 13th (local time), Mike Ryan, head of the WHO Emergency Response Team, said at a video briefing held at the WHO headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, "Some recovered COVID-19 patients did not show an antibody response," and emphasized, "Since recovered patients still have a high possibility of reinfection, countries must continue 'social distancing' measures."

WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus also stated at the briefing, "COVID-19 spreads very quickly, but the slowdown in its spread is much slower," and added, "If lockdown measures are lifted too quickly, the risk of a second infection remains high, so proposals to ease restrictions should be considered more carefully rather than implemented hastily."

According to WHO, preliminary research conducted in Shanghai, China, found that some patients did not show any antibody response, and even patients with antibody responses were identified as having a possibility of secondary infection.

Amid WHO's warnings, European countries began easing lockdown measures this week. Spain allowed workers in construction and manufacturing sectors, where remote work is not possible, to commute starting from this day. Workers must wear personal protective equipment and maintain a distance of at least 2 meters from each other while working. In Denmark, the Czech Republic, Austria, and Norway, some shops and schools reopened, partially easing lockdown measures.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.