According to a new study, a negative result of antibodies against coronavirus does not mean that you are not immune to COVID-19
The new study, which came from researchers at the Karolinksa Institute in Sweden, found that for every person who tested positive for antibodies, two people were found to have T cells that can identify and destroy infected calls.
People with those T cells had mild or symptom-free cases of COVID-19, reports BBC News.
BBC News said: “But it is not yet clear if this only protects that person, or if it could also prevent them from passing the infection on to others.”
The researchers tested 200 people for T cells and antibodies. Some had donated blood. Others came from the first infected in Sweden or had returned from Italy.
According to BBC News, this could mean that some have more immunity to the virus than we think. Or, the antibodies had left your system when the tests were done.
“T cells are a type of white blood cell that specialize in recognizing virus-infected cells and are an essential part of the immune system,” says Marcus Buggert, assistant professor at the Center for Infectious Medicine, Karolinska Institute, and one of the leading authors of the article. “Advanced analyzes have now allowed us to map the T-cell response in detail during and after a COVID-19 infection. Our results indicate that approximately twice as many people have developed T-cell immunity compared to those in whom we can detect antibodies. “- Marcus Buggert, assistant professor at the Infectious medicine center, Karolinska Institutet, and one of the main authors of the article.
Another study suggests that antibodies may die soon.
- A study published in June suggested that antibodies to the coronavirus could last two to three months once someone becomes infected with COVID-19, as I wrote for the Deseret News.
- The study, published in Nature Medicine, found that the antibodies only lasted two to three months with some patients.
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CNBC said: “Scientists say they are still learning about key aspects of the virus, including the immune system’s response once a person is exposed. They say the answers can have big implications for vaccine development, including how quickly it can be deployed to the public. “
