People who have had a coronavirus and continue to shed the virus are often non-infectious to others, but the situation may largely depend on the pathogenicity of the strain and the immunity of another person. This assessment was voiced by Sergei Voznesensky, Associate Professor of the Department of Infectious Diseases of the RUDN University, RIA Novosti reports.
According to Voznesensky, the duration of the COVID-19 illness most often does not exceed two weeks, but some people, especially those with weakened immunity, can shed the virus in the air. “This can persist for up to six months, but the concentration of this virus is much lower than during the period of illness,” he said.
Voznesensky added that there are not very many people who continue to shed coronavirus.
Infectionist Yevgeny Timakov noted that the amount of virus secreted affects the degree of infectiousness. It may not be enough and it will not be passed on. He pointed out that the pathogenicity of the new strains still needs to be studied, but they are unlikely to lead to mass diseases.
Earlier, Timakov said that re-infection with coronavirus is possible if a person has weakened immunity due to taking medications, the number of antibodies is reduced. Another factor, he called the high viral load and frequent contact with infected people.