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Antibodies to the coronavirus last at least six months after infection for most people who have had the virus, according to a new study.
It found that 99% of the participants who had tested positive in a coronavirus antibodies during the three months after infection, while 88% did so during the full six months of the study.
UK Biobank research also found that 8.8% of the UK population had been infected in December 2020, rising to 12.4% in London and as low as 5.5% in Scotland.
It measured levels of previous infection in various population groups in the UK, as well as the length of time antibodies persisted in those who were infected.
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The vaccine will ‘not necessarily’ stop infections
UK Biobank Chief Scientist Professor Naomi Allen said: “This major study has revealed that the vast majority of people retain detectable antibodies for at least six months after infection with the coronavirus.
“Although we cannot be sure how this relates to immunity, the results suggest that people may be protected against subsequent infections for at least six months after natural infection.
“Longer monitoring will allow us to determine how long that protection is likely to last.”
During the six-month period from late May 2020 to early December 2020, UK Biobank collected monthly blood samples and data on potential symptoms from 20,200 participants and their adult children and grandchildren.
The study also found that the proportion of the population with antibodies to Sars-CoV-2 (seroprevalence, indicating past infection) increased from 6.6% at the beginning of the study period to 8.8% at the end of the study period.
There was no gender difference, but the proportion of participants with detectable antibodies was highest in younger people (13.5% among those under 30 years of age) and lowest in the elderly (6.7% among those over 70). .
Previous infection with Sars-CoV-2 (the name of the virus that causes COVID-19) was highest among black participants (16.3%) and lowest among white participants (8.5%) and China (7.5%).
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‘The second wave has a higher death toll’
The most common symptom associated with having antibodies to the coronavirus was loss of sense of taste and smell, which was reported by 43% of HIV-positive participants.
About a quarter (24%) of the seropositive participants were completely asymptomatic and 40% did not have one of the three COVID-19 symptoms: fever, persistent dry cough, or loss of sense of taste or smell.
But the researchers cautioned that just because people have developed an antibody response does not mean they cannot yet transmit the virus to other people.
Professor Sir Rory Collins, lead researcher at the UK Biobank, said this meant that it was “important to keep social distancing and blocking measures in line with government guidelines”.
He added that the findings support the government’s decision to delay second doses of the COVID-19 vaccine for up to 12 weeks.
