(Natural News) There has been a lot of talk lately about what it means to develop immunity to the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19). But is there really any such thing?

According to researchers from Columbia University in Manhattan, some people are developing multiple instances of the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) which, if true, means that immunity to the virus is only temporary at best.

Beginning in the fall of 2016 and continuing on into 2018, scientists from the school began collecting nasal swabs from 191 children, teachers and emergency workers. Participants were asked to record every time they sneezed or had sore throats in order for those running the study to be able to create a map tracking common respiratory viruses and their symptoms, as well as how long people who recovered stayed immune to each one.

Four different coronaviruses, including HKU1, NL63, OC42, and C229E, were all included because these are common coronaviruses that circulate every year. You read that correctly: Coronaviruses are nothing new in society, and many people have them, often without even knowing it.

The new Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19), or SARS-CoV-2, is said to be in the same family as these other coronaviruses, which would explain why most people develop only mild symptoms, or no symptoms at all. But some are reportedly developing much more serious symptoms and are even dying, which is prompting questions about how this novel virus behaves.

Based on a preliminary report of this earlier study at Columbia, it appears as though the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) can re-infect the same person multiple times in the same year – and sometimes even more than once. If this is the case, then it may not be possible to develop true immunity to it, which means any attempt to create a vaccine is futile.

“Over a year and a half, a dozen of the volunteers tested positive two or three times for the same virus, in one case with just four weeks between positive results,” reports Technology Review.