A widespread coronavirus outbreak aboard a fishing boat in Seattle may provide the first direct evidence that antibodies can provide protective immunity against the virus, according to a report on Tuesday.
Crewmembers of the ship were studied before and after its 18-day voyage in May, which would eventually see more than 85 percent of the crew infected with the virus in the days after they returned to port.
Before the ship sailed, blood samples were collected and showed that three of the 122 people on board had a positive anti-anti-response, indicating that they had previously been infected and recovered, according to researchers from the University of Washington and Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center – which analyzed the natural experiment.
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While 104 of the 120 crew members would test positive for the coronavirus – the three that previously neutralized antibodies were not infected.
“It is a strong indication that the presence of neutralizing antibodies is associated with protection against the virus,” said Dr. Alex Greninger, co-author of the report posted on MedRxiv, according to the Seattle Times. “It’s hopeful news.”
The blood test of almost the entire crew and the high rate of infection in close quarters means it is likely that the three were exposed to the virus during the outbreak, said Mark Slifka, an immunologist and vaccine developer at Oregon Health & Science University.
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“While this is a small study, it offers a remarkable, truly, human experiment,” wrote Danny Altmann, professor of immunology at Imperial College London, in a comment on the report that has yet to be peer-reviewed. “Who knew that immunology research on fishing boats could be so informative?”
The test prior to the study found that none of the crew members were positive for the virus. 18 days after his voyage, however, the ship returned to port after one became ill and was hospitalized. Tests over the next 50 days showed that 104 crew members would be infected.
Greninger said the 15 other crew members who were never infected may have had jobs on the boat that protected them from exposure, according to the paper. He added that three other crew members had antibodies that bound to the capsule of the new coronavirus but failed to block infection.
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According to the ship, the FV was the American Dynasty, which was fishing off the coast of Washington when the eruption struck, Greninger told the Seattle Times.
The report comes as a series of new studies have revealed signs of strong and lasting immunity in people who develop a mild coronavirus infection, according to the New York Times.
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The next step will determine how long the protection of immunity will last, but the studies are seen as an encouraging sign in the middle of the race for a vaccine.
