Lots of people are looking back at that presumed cold or flu that recently spread through their household or office and asking: Did I already have the novel coronavirus? And if so, what does it mean for me now?

A meme circulating on social media takes these questions even farther, asking: “Who got sick in November or December and it lasted 10 to 14 days? … If you can answer ‘yes,’ then you probably had the coronavirus. … You guys lived through that. Quit letting the media control you. Now give me back my toilet paper, sports, parades, etc.”

Like so many posts that go viral, experts say this one mixes a bit of encouraging potential truth with some inaccurate and potentially dangerous misinformation.

Early exposure, if true, raises questions

First, a cautious silver lining.

There’s a very real chance that some people who had dry coughs, fevers and other symptoms of the coronavirus as far back as December might have already recovered from the disease, according to both Brandon Brown, a public health professor at UC Riverside who specializes in infectious diseases, and Dr. Robert Kim-Farley, an epidemiology professor at UCLA.

If people did beat the virus, both experts said there’s a chance those patients can’t get it again or spread it to others. That, in turn, means those people might be able to start to return to their usual routines sooner rather than later.

Now for the bad news.

Most people don’t know if they actually had the coronavirus because they haven’t been tested, and there isn’t a test available yet that can tell if someone already recovered from the disease. Even if they did get a coronavirus test, or an antibody test to show a past infection, scientists don’t yet know for sure if beating novel coronavirus once means long-term immunity. And assuming otherwise could expose more vulnerable people to a potentially fatal disease and extend the pandemic.

Researchers now believe the new coronavirus emerged in mid-November or early December, with a transfer from wildlife to humans at an open-air market in Wuhan, China. The first identified case in the United States was mid-January, in a Washington state man who’d recently returned from Wuhan.

“It is possible that travelers to or from China may have already been exposed and transmitting COVID-19 to others a few months ago,” Kim-Farley said.

But given the slow roll-out and limited supply of test kits — combined with the good news that perhaps 80% of coronavirus cases are mild enough that people recover on their own — experts say it’s a near certainty that lots of people who’ve had the virus simply haven’t been tested.

Don’t make decisions for others

It’s risky, though, for people to assume what they had was the coronavirus.

“There are other diseases, influenza being one of them, that may have similar symptoms to mild COVID-19,” Kim-Farley said. “Therefore, it would not be wise to assume that an illness with symptoms compatible to COVID-19 is definitely COVID-19.”

If people assume they’ve beaten the virus and resume their usual routines, Brown said they can inadvertently spread the infection to others, including older people with compromised immune systems and others who are much more likely to have serious complications or die from the coronavirus. Hence, experts are pushing for physical distancing until the virus subsides.

It’s also not 100% clear whether people who’ve had the coronavirus can or can’t get it again.

As with most viruses, Kim-Farley said it’s believed that people who’ve beaten the coronavirus will produce antibodies that will protect them against the current strain of COVID-19.

“The question of how long that protection will last is still unknown, but is being studied over time,” Kim-Farley said.

Also, there have been a few cases, Brown noted, where people tested positive for COVID-19, recovered from the disease, but later tested positive a second time.

“It could be that these individuals did not completely clear the virus,” he said.

“We don’t know enough, at this point,” Brown added. “But we believe that once you are infected and mount an immune response, you are less likely to get sick a second time.”

More tests could mean more answers

That’s one reason experts say antibody tests currently in development will be helpful. Such tests could show if someone had the virus previously and has built up a defense.

“Once testing becomes more widespread and it is possible to routinely test people, there may be a point at which such people who are immune can be easily identified and they could go back to work — even in healthcare settings,” Kim-Farley said. “That will help us to re-start getting back to normal.”

Antibody testing also could help cut down on new transmissions, since Brown said health officials could quarantine those who’ve been in contact with someone who previously had the virus.

For now, both Brown and Kim-Farley said everyone should continue to follow physical distancing and other safety guidelines recommended by public health officials.

“We don’t know enough about the virus at this time to believe if we get sick we can go back to our normal lives,” Brown said.

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