CHICAGO (WBBM NEWSRADIO) -- A top doctor at Northwestern University's Feinberg School of Medicine said it would be a mistake for anyone who contracts COVID-19 to think they don't need vaccinations or boosters to protect them from the virus.
Dr. Robert Murphy, a professor of infectious diseases at the Feinberg School of Medicine, said he's been asked by some people if they should allow themselves to be exposed to the virus as a way to get immunity without the need for vaccines or boosters.
He said the potential risks from contracting COVID are too great.
"It's not zero, and you do not want to get this thing. And we don't even know the long-term consequences if there's going to be long COVID-type symptoms six months from now. That's a big unknown, too. It's just not a good idea to get COVID. It's just too dangerous," Dr. Murphy said.
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Dr. Murphy also said a COVID infection generally produces antibodies that remain effective for about three months, while the protection from vaccinations usually last about six months.
"We see people having second infections within three months of having an actual infection, whereas the vaccines last at least six months and offer actually higher antibody levels more consistently, so it's really not a good idea to count on the infection to be protective," Dr. Murphy said.
He said coronavirus infections could be deadly or lead to long-term complications. Dr. Murphy said people who think they are protected against the virus after being infected are taking too much of a risk and "playing with fire."
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