The Omicron wave in Singapore has seen many getting infected with Covid-19 in unprecedented numbers.
Healing The Divide founder Iris Koh was one such case. On 15 Mar, she announced on Facebook that she had contracted the virus.
Koh shared that she only suffered mild symptoms. Following that, she said in the comments that she may have “immunity for life” as she got the virus naturally.
However, this claim is not supported by expert opinions who have said previously that Covid-19 immunity varies from 35 days to 40 years within individuals.
On Tuesday (15 Mar), Iris Koh, founder of anti-vaccine group Healing The Divide, shared that she was “happy” to announce that she finally tested positive for Covid-19.
This came after many days of living with her husband who had contracted the virus first.
On the first day, Koh said she suffered a fever and had a sore throat for a few days. But she did not lose her sense of smell or taste. Mostly, she felt “quite okay”.
Koh stated,
It’s not true that those vaccinated have lighter symptoms. I dare say that those unvaccinated have light symptoms too.
In her Facebook post, Koh also attached a screenshot of her TraceTogether app, showing that she was now exempted from vaccination.
She said as a “proud member of the unvaccinated community”, she is part of the control group to check and balance the safety and efficiency of vaccines.
Koh then exclaimed that she doesn’t see the point of risking many more side effects for a relatively mild case of Covid-19.
Reading her post, many of Koh’s supporters took to the comments to voice support for her and her viewpoints.
Koh also added in the comments section later that she believes she may have “immunity for life” as she contracted Covid-19 naturally.
This claim likely came from an article citing Washington University School of Medicine titled ‘If You’ve Had COVID You’re Likely Protected for Life’.
However, the senior author of the study quoted had later said that this was misinformation—getting infected does not mean you are protected for life.
Back in Mar 2021, a Singapore study also found that the longevity of Covid-19 immunity after infection is varied.
It can last 35 days in some but up to 40 years in others, The Straits Times (ST) reported. Those who have recovered from Covid-19 may still be re-infected.
This was backed by Associate Professor Hsu Li Yang, an expert on infectious diseases, who said lifelong immunity from Covid-19 is “unlikely”.
With regard to vaccinations, another study in Nov 2021 revealed that vaccinated individuals who still got infected showed a better boost in their immune response.
The combination of natural infection and vaccination may provide long-lasting immunity. According to ST, booster jabs will be needed to protect against reinfection.
Throughout the pandemic, Iris Koh has been pushing that Covid-19 vaccines were not necessary. Her anti-vaccine group Healing The Divide was also found to be spreading misinformation.
We’re glad Koh is recovering well from the virus. Nonetheless, it is important to remember that not many unvaccinated individuals are fortunate enough to only suffer mild symptoms from Covid-19.
Do refer to official sources such as the Ministry of Health (MOH) for more verified information on Covid-19.
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Featured image adapted from Iris Koh on Facebook and Facebook.
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