COVID-19 and immunity: quo vadis?

Understanding the precise nature and durability of protective immunity against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is essential in order to gain insight into the pathophysiology of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and to develop novel treatment strategies to this disease. Here I succinctly summarize what is currently known and unknown about the immune response during COVID-19 and discuss whether natural infections can lead to herd immunity. © The Japanese Society for Immunology. 2021. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.