Most people who get coronavirus are safe from reinfection for at least six months, latest research suggests.

The finding follows the first large scale study of how much protection is offered by previously having had COVID-19.

It comes as optimism grows over the development and deployment of effective vaccines to combat the pandemic.

However, while hailed as an important step to understanding coronavirus immunity, scientists say there is not yet enough data to make a judgement on how long it lasts beyond the six months from the initial infection and the work will continue.

The study, undertaken as part of a collaboration between the University of Oxford and Oxford University Hospitals (OUH) NHS Foundation Trust, covered a 30-week period (April - November) involving 12,180 health care workers.

The staff were tested for antibodies to the virus as a way of detecting who had been infected before.

Source: https://news.sky.com/story/covid-19-prior-coronavirus-infection-offers-protection-for-at-least-six-months-12137084