TOPLINE
Many patients who have recovered from Covid-19 can lose their immunity to the disease in a matter of months, according to research by scientists at King’s College London, which, if proven true, will have broad implications for the development of cancer. vaccinates and could put a “nail in the coffin” in the idea that collective immunity to the coronavirus is achievable.
Doctors and nurses help a patient with COVID-19 at the Hospital Juárez de México, in Mexico City, in … [+]
KEY FACTS
King’s College researchers repeatedly tested 96 patients between March and June, all of whom confirmed having Covid-19 through either a PCR test or a positive antibody test.
According to research, which has not yet been peer-reviewed, the level of antibodies capable of fighting the coronavirus peaked about three weeks after the onset of symptoms, but decreased rapidly.
Approximately 60% of the patients tested produced “potent” antibodies while fighting the coronavirus, but only 16.7% had the same level of detectable potency just 65 days later.
The magnitude of the antibody response depended on the severity of the disease, with higher antibody levels and longer duration in more severe cases.
For some milder cases, the antibodies became undetectable after approximately 50 days, “highlighting the transitory nature of the [antibody] response to SARS-CoV-2 in some people. “
Key Background:
It is important to note that this is a longitudinal study that has not been peer reviewed. If it turns out to be supported by other research, the ramifications on the durability of vaccine protection would be substantial. More significantly, it would mean that the herd’s immunity to the coronavirus is likely unattainable. Many scientists have previously predicted that individuals may be susceptible to Covid-19 infection repeatedly because short-term immunity and reinfection have been observed in other human coronaviruses. Earlier this month, a study by leading Spanish epidemiologists published by the medical journal The Lancet found that only 14% of people who had tested positive for antibodies to coronavirus in an initial round of tests tested positive for antibodies in tests. subsequent weeks later. The King’s College study “puts another nail in the coffin of the dangerous concept of collective immunity,” said Professor Jonathan Heeney, a virologist at the University of Cambridge.
Big number:
12,913,000: The coronavirus has infected more than 12,913,000 people worldwide as of Monday morning, according to the New York Times, causing at least 569,100 deaths.
Critical quote:
“The good news is that the SARS-CoV-2 virus seems to make fewer mistakes when reproducing than flu viruses. Perhaps this will allow us to maintain our immunity longer. Even that may be good enough to make it disease is less severe a second exposure. ” – Dr. Mark Kortepeter.
Tangent:
According to MIT Technology Review, “Antibodies are not the only way that people can fight Covid-19. T cells, which search for and destroy SARS-CoV-2 infected cells, may also provide some protection.” She adds that “we have not yet generated enough patient data to be able to draw conclusions about immunity with a high degree of certainty. Anecdotal reports have been received from people who captured Covid-19 a second time, but none have been confirmed.” “
Further reading:
Covid-19 immunity could fade in months, new study suggests (MIT)
Can you get Covid-19 twice? An infectious disease doctor explores the possibility (Forbes)
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