Howie Severino takes COVID-19 test again even after recovery: ‘Immunity is not forever’

Howie Severino has shared that he recently took another coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) test even after he recovered from the virus in April since there appeared to be cases of reinfections.

The veteran journalist shared his thoughts in a Facebook post on Thursday, announcing as well that he received good news when the results came in.

“Immunity is not forever. I’ve been told by my doctor,” he said. “When I survived COVID-19 last April, I thought the resulting immunity from having new antibodies was the one big consolation from being a statistic in a pandemic.”

He shared that he donated his plasma and walked with his mask on with greater confidence since he thought that he couldn’t be infected again.

However, isolated reports started showing possible reinfections and patients losing their antibodies just after three months. This meant that COVID-19 survivors became vulnerable again to “being attacked by viruses without those anti-viral warriors in their blood."

“I had peace of mind,” Howie shared. “Three months after leaving the hospital, I was warned by my doctor that I too might lose this protection any time.”

READ: Howie Severino: I am Patient 2828

With this knowledge and because Howie would soon start shooting documentaries again, he, along with his cameraman Disney Carreon, decided to take another rapid test to detect any antibodies present in their blood.

Fortunately, Howie got a call on Thursday afternoon stating that he was negative for IgM, an antibody that appears “in response to a new infection,” meaning he was clear of COVID-19.

He was also positive with IgG, “an antibody that shows up later and stays after the virus has gone away."

READ: 7 things Howie Severino realized while in isolation as a COVID-19 patient

The I-Witness documentarist said this was “the best possible result for me: I was not infectious and I still had immunity. The plasma in my blood can still save the lives of others.”

“Despite all the dire news about former patients suffering from lingering effects of the virus, I’ve been feeling great. I’m eating healthy, working out and biking (and even briefly apprehended while biking), and yesterday I even anchored our news bulletins. I’ve started a new online show called ‘Quarantined with Howie Severino,’” he assured the public.

Howie said that aside from homeschooling his son and giving online talks on his survival story, he’s also planning to donate plasma again next week.

“Yet I know that even after this virus leaves you, it can come back to haunt you in still unknown ways,” the journalist said. “So in spite of everything, time must be savored and treasured. As a fellow survivor has reminded me, every breath is a blessing.”

Howie first announced at the start of April that he tested positive for COVID-19 and spent 11 days in the hospital before he finally recovered. – Kaela Malig/RC, GMA News