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. “Suggesting protection against serious illness,” the OMT wrote.
The proof of recovery is therefore extended because a previous infection protects against the virus for more than six months. A large Danish study found that the protective effect lasted for 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 makes sense because people who are protected by vaccination are given a valid QR code for an indefinite period of time.
In the video below we explain how well you are protected after going through an infection:
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2. Is the proof of recovery also valid abroad for a year?
Abroad, the proof of recovery is not valid for a year, but for 180 days. “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.
In addition, the 180-day recovery certificate in Europe is only valid after a positive PCR test. A positive antigen test is not sufficient, in the Netherlands it does provide a valid QR code.
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3. What if you already have a recovery certificate for six months?
People who already have proof of recovery can extend the CoronaCheck App. That app retrieves the positive test results from the system of the GGD and from other providers. So you have to get proof from the app again.
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4. How much chance do you actually have to get infected again?
Over time, more and more people become infected for a second time, but that is only 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 become reinfected generally seem to get less seriously ill.”
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