Recovered from corona? Then your QR code will be valid for a year from tomorrow
1. Why is the recovery certificate extended?
The proof of recovery is extended on the basis of an advice from the OMT at the beginning of October. That advice states that antibodies against the coronavirus are still present in 90 percent of people one year after infection. Antibodies were also found in a mild infection. “That means protection against heavy costs,” wrote the OMT.
The proof of recovery is therefore extended because an infection lasts longer than six months to protect against the virus. A Danish study found that the major effect was at least 7 months. That could also be longer, but the study ran no longer than that. A note: the research was conducted in a period before the emergence of variants.
The OMT also states that extending the term to one year is logical because people who are protected by vaccination receive a valid QR code for an indefinite period.
In video we explain how well you are protected below if you have experienced an infection:
2. Is the proof of recovery also valid abroad for a year?
Abroad, the recovery certificate is valid for 180 days, even after tomorrow, not for a year. “The advice is not in line with current European policy,” the OMT wrote in early October. It therefore only leads to a valid QR code in the Netherlands.
The 180-day recovery certificate in Europe is of course valid after a positive PCR test. A positive antigen test is not sufficient, in the Netherlands it does provide a valid QR code.
3. What if you already have a recovery certificate for six months?
People who already have a proof of recovery can renew it in the CoronaCheck App from tomorrow. That app retrieves the positive test results from the GGD and from other systems. So you have to get another proof from the app.
4. How much chance do you actually have to get infected again?
Over time, more people have been infected for a second time, but still a small part of all positive tests. The percentage of recontamination of all positive tests is about 1 to 2 percent, RIVM writes on the website. “People who get re-infected seem to get sick less in general.”