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A study of hundreds of thousands of people in England indicates that immunity to the Coronavirus is gradually decreasing, by at least one measure.
The researchers, who sent fingerstick tests to more than 365,000 randomly selected people in England, found a 26% decrease in “Covid-19” antibodies over the course of just three months.
The team wrote: “We observed a significant decrease in the proportion of the population with detectable antibodies during three rounds of national surveillance, 12, 18 and 24 weeks after the first peak of infection in England.”
He added: “This is consistent with the evidence that immunity against seasonal coronaviruses declines over a period of 6 to 12 months after infection and the data emerging from” SARS-CoV-2, which also revealed over time a decrease in antibody levels in people who were followed in longitudinal studies “.
The study was published Monday by “Imperial College” in London and the research company “Ipsos MORI”. And at the start of the study, in June, 6% of those who were tested had IgG antibody responses to the coronavirus. And in September, only 4.4% had it. And for healthcare workers, the rates were about the same.
Antibodies are the proteins that your body naturally creates to fight infection. Other research teams found that other types of antibodies can persist longer than IgG.
The results also confirm previous studies that showed that people who did not show symptoms of the Corona virus were more likely to lose antibodies that could be detected earlier, rather than those who had more serious infections.
The researchers found that younger people who recovered from the Corona virus had a slower loss of antibodies, compared to people older than 75 who survived the infection.
However, not enough is known to determine whether antibodies provide any effective level of immunity to the coronavirus, or for how long people may have immunity to reinfection with the coronavirus.
It’s also unclear what role T-cell immunity and the body’s memory responses to threats like Coronavirus will play in providing protection if someone is exposed to Coronavirus again. More research is needed to better understand the ongoing risk of reinfection.
“This very large study showed that the proportion of people who have antibodies can decrease over time,” Helen Ward, a fellow at Imperial College London School of Medicine, said in a statement.
Ward, who worked on the study, added: “We do not yet know if this will leave these people at risk of reinfection with the virus that causes ‘Covid-19’, but it is imperative that” everyone follows the instructions to reduce risks themselves and others. “
Previous national prevalence surveys that determined the number of people who had contracted the coronavirus in Iceland recorded a permanent response to antibodies for four months from the time of infection. Other studies showed that different factors can affect how quickly the antibodies decrease. Age, comorbidities, and initial severity of the disease appear to play a role.
British Health Minister Lord James Bethel described the study as an “important piece of research” that could help inform the British government on how to take appropriate measures to control the spread of the Corona virus.
“It is also important that everyone knows what this means to them: this study will help in our fight against the virus, but a positive antibody test does not mean that you are immune to Covid-19,” Bethel said in a press release. “Regardless of the antibody test result, everyone must continue to adhere to government guidelines, including social distancing, self-isolation, and a test if you have symptoms,” he added.
And Dr. Claudia Huyn, a specialist in infectious diseases for children at University Hospitals of Cleveland, thinks the study was fun and encouraging, because it indicates that at least when it comes to antibodies, this virus works like other corona viruses. As with the common cold, antibodies decrease and people can catch a cold more than once. As with the common cold, people who have strong immune systems and are generally younger often do not see a rapid decline in antibodies like older people.
Source: CNN
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