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Researchers from the US and Switzerland have studied dozens of people with COVID-19 disease and found that while antibody levels in their bodies may decrease over time, enough specific B cells (B lymphocytes) remain.
These cells can memorize the pathogen and, in case of reinfection, activate the immune system to resume the production of antibodies against the virus.
“The memory response is responsible for protection against reinfection and is essential for effective vaccination,” the article told the journal Nature.
“The observed fact that the memory B-cell response does not disappear after 6.2 months, but continues to develop, would clearly indicate that people infected with SARS-CoV-2 could respond quickly and effectively after repeated exposure to viruses, “the study said.
They evaluated 87 people who were diagnosed with COVID-19 just over a month and also half a year after the infection.
The activity of virus neutralizing antibodies was found to decrease over time, but the number of memory B cells did not change.
According to the researchers, their study shows that the response of memory B cells to coronavirus evolves within six months of infection with the remaining viral proteins in the body. This allows these cells to produce more effective antibodies.
How long people can withstand a recurrent attack from a new coronavirus and the immune processes involved is crucial in predicting the dynamics of a pandemic.
Previous studies have been cause for concern because they have shown that antibodies to SARS-CoV-2 can be lowered rapidly after infection.
However, recent studies have highlighted the role of other elements of the immune system in the development of a longer immunity.
An article in the journal Science this month says that almost every important part of the immune system that can learn to recognize and repel a new pathogen could continue to respond to SARS-CoV-2 for at least eight months.
Among these parts of the immune system are memory B cells, which the researchers found actually increased in the blood six months after infection.
The article was based on a blood test from 188 COVID-19 patients.
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