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Today, many important issues about the new corona pneumonia epidemic still remain unanswered, and these issues can play a key role in people following the progress of the epidemic. One of them is the role of antibodies in the immune system.
Until now, there has been a lot of information related to antibodies in human immunity and vaccine development. These Y-shaped proteins are formed by an immune response to pathogens or other harmful substances. They can adapt to different positions of each virus, that is, the “antigen”, and adhere to these antigens to prevent people from becoming infected.
Like many viruses, the human body also produces antibodies during the process of infection with the new coronavirus and forms a protective effect to prevent secondary infections. However, how effective are these antibodies and whether the immunity formed in some populations is stronger than in others, the answers to these questions are not clear. This leaves people faced with the question of “is it possible to have a second infection”?
A key question that can take years to answer is: How long can the effect of the new coronavirus antibody last?
First, the effect of antibodies on everyone is not necessarily the same. In some people, the protective effect of antibody formation may be stronger and longer lasting. In other so-called “weak self-adaptive immune function”, the role of antibodies may be weaker and therefore their fight against the virus is more difficult and the risk of reinfection is higher: the biological mechanism of the body will do this Take on new opponents in unpredictable ways.
Furthermore, the new coronavirus itself is a new pathogen that carries a variety of pathogenic factors: from the common cold, SARS to MERS, all pathogenic factors contained in these viruses are more or less carried. Due to the variety of these virus-causing strains, as of yet, there is no vaccine to prevent and treat the common cold on the market, and there is no product to prevent and treat SARS or MERS, and there are even related gaps. with the new coronavirus.
Part of the reason for this situation is that compared to the new corona epidemic, the diseases caused by the SARS and MERS epidemics are relatively mild and the control speed of SARS is relatively fast. During the SARS outbreak, it was found that the protective effect of antibodies on the infected person’s body lasted for two years on average.
However, the new crown virus does not appear to be the case, at least for some patients with new crowns. According to a study in the New England Journal of Medicine, in patients with mild symptoms, the protective efficacy of antibodies can be cut in half in more than two months.
This week, scientists at Imperial College London published another new analysis that looked at the level of antibodies in the British body. The results showed that the number of antibodies among the infected populations studied dropped dramatically: from 6% at the end of June to 4.4% at the end of September.
Helen Ward, one of the lead authors of the research paper, said: “This large-scale study shows that over time, the proportion of people who can detect antibodies in the body is decreasing.”
But there is another possibility: a drop in antibody levels does not necessarily mean that you will be re-infected with the new crown. She said: “We do not yet know if a drop in antibody levels will put these patients at risk of reinfection. But it is vital that everyone continue to follow epidemic prevention measures to reduce the risk to themselves and others.”
Other studies have also shown that there are cases of secondary infections in recovered patients. An article published in The Lancet two weeks ago reported the case of a 25-year-old man from Wausau County, Nevada, who had the first infection in April and the second in late May.
“The level of protective immunity produced by the new severe coronavirus infection is not yet clear. Therefore, we still know very little about the possibility of reinfection with the virus.” From the University of Nevada and the Nevada State Public Health Library The author wrote.
So far, as the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has noted, “Relevant studies have reported confirmed or suspected cases of reinfection in patients with new coronary artery disease, but they are still rare.”
The experts emphasized that “the presence of antibodies against the new coronavirus” does not mean long-lasting immunity or the ability to protect others from infection; This refutes supporters of the “herd immunity” policy, who believe that as long as enough people are available, the infection can play an immune role in a wide range of people.
In the final analysis, it is still necessary to wash your hands frequently, wear a mask and maintain social distancing, whether you have antibodies or not, you are responsible for your own health and the health of others. (Chinese network of fortune)
Compiler: Chen Congcong
