Immunity certificate, how could it work?

[NewBrideToBe]

Matt Hancock suggested this in his briefing yesterday.

So those who have had Covid19 are issued papers allowing them to come out of lockdown but what about the rest of the population? Do they have to stay in lockdown until they catch it? Will people deliberately try and get the virus in order to obtain the certificate?

Presumably people who are immune could still spread it to people who aren't so I imagine social distancing rules would still apply either way.

I'm hoping that further down the line as more people become immune it might be the way to open up travelling abroad again - I.e you can only travel with a certificate proving you're immune

But how do we know people can't catch it again?
Or that some groups are more susceptible - like Measles or Flu in older people?

is it not more this persons doesn't have to go in to self isolation for 2 weeks and stop working if their child develops a cough, rather than the lockdown rules don't apply anymore?

Most diseases you catch once & get long term immunity.
I'm not sure why folk are so determined to say SARS2 is different.

I can't see folk going for an identity card type system, though, which this would be. I'm find with an ID card, but many Brits get hysterical at the idea.

@kimlo I would hope that any immunity certificates would be used only in the way you describe.

Other wise I fear we would end up with a situation with vast discrimination against those who haven’t caught the disease and therefore have no immunity.

Given that those who are immune could still carry and spread the disease I don’t see how it could help with travel etc.

My concern is that people could actively try to catch it in order to clear themselves. People who assume they are healthy and with withstand it.

Probably have to pay for it. So those who can afford the test can prove immunity and get a job, or the kids can go to nursery etc

There is no proof that you become immune once you catch it and recover. Absolutely none at all. The theory that antibodies build up while you have the virus and they will stay present to stop you getting it again is rubbish. There is more than one strain of it so this isn't possible.

If we built up antibodies for every strain of every virus by catching one strain once, we would never catch colds, flu and all other viruses that are on the go. We don't build immunity after catching one strain of the common cold for example because colds and flu come in many different strains and types so we get one type and we are protected against that but then we catch another strain of it. Coronavirus is the same. There is not one strain of it. The last I looked, they were saying they thought there was 4 different strains of it due to it mutating with the spread as viruses tend to do.

A vaccination that will protect against all known strains will be the only way of getting immunity. They will review the vaccine all the time for any new known strains of the virus and add that into the vaccination like they do with the flu jab. Sometimes new strains appear and go undetected and this is why vaccinated people get ill despite being vaccinated along with other reasons.

The government quickly debunked and let go of the herd immunity theory a while a go

My concern is that people could actively try to catch it in order to clear themselves. People who assume they are healthy and with withstand it.

Yes, this is my worry too. Also:

I fear we would end up with a situation with vast discrimination against those who haven’t caught the disease and therefore have no immunity.

It won't be a piece of paper. More likely a bar code on your phone that you show.