The World Health Organization is warning that countries should be wary about issuing certificates for people who have coronavirus antibodies.
The WHO issued the warning in a scientific brief published on Friday. It noted how as the world begins to reopen slowly during the coronavirus pandemic, some countries have begun discussing the use of immunity certificates in order to allow people who have already been exposed to the virus to return to work sooner.
The WHO claims there is not enough proof to support the conclusion that people with antibodies can’t still be at risk.
“There is currently no evidence that people who have recovered from COVID-19 and have antibodies are protected from a second infection,” the WHO said in the brief.
“At this point in the pandemic, there is not enough evidence about the effectiveness of antibody-mediated immunity to guarantee the accuracy of an ‘immunity passport’ or ‘risk-free certificate,’” the WHO continued.
Earlier this month, Dr. Anthony Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said the concept of immunity passports could have some merit “under certain circumstances.”
“It’s one of those things that we talk about when we want to make sure that we know who the vulnerable people are and not,” he explained. “This is something that’s being discussed.”
The WHO said that instead of helping to stop the spread of the virus, the use of immunity certificates may “increase the risks of continued transmission.”
There have been more than 2.8 million confirmed cases of coronavirus infections worldwide and about 200,000 deaths, according to Johns Hopkins University.
