Infection gives just 5- month immunity

She stressed that the findings mean even if you believe you already had the disease and are protected, you can be reassured it is highly unlikely you will develop severe infections but there is still a risk that you could acquire an infection and transmit to others.

“Now more than ever it is vital we all stay at home to protect our health service and save lives,” she added.

The PHE says it has been regularly testing tens of thousands of health care workers across the UK since June for new COVID-19 infections as well as the presence of antibodies, which suggest people have been infected before.

While the SARS-CoV-2 Immunity and Reinfection EvaluatioN (SIREN) study will continue to assess whether protection may last for longer, its results warn that people who contracted the disease in the first wave may now be vulnerable to catching it again.