Monkeys develop short-term immunity to coronavirus

As in most studies, the closest approximation of a human body is a primate, in this case scientists from Peking Union Medical College used rhesus macaques to test short-term immunity from the virus.

Monkeys in the study - six of them, were infected in their trachea with a dose of the SARS-CoV-2 virus - developed mild to moderate symptoms, and took about two weeks to recover. They were protected from reinfection for up to 28 days.

However, while the monkeys did display immunity to the virus, the study is not yet clear on how long this form of immunity will last in humans, the study will have to go on for months - possibly years - before any sort of conclusion can be drawn.

The monkeys showed a stronger immune response after the first infection, producing more antibodies, which may have protected them against short-term reinfection, much more experimentation is needed to see how long this defense remains.