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Do we acquire resistance to COVID-19 after infection? – this question has kept scientists awake at night since the beginning of the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus epidemic. Does everyone infected with the virus produce antibodies, and if so, how long do they stay in the body? The new study sheds some light, but is still not the final answer.
COVID-19 resistance
Do antibodies develop in the body of an infected person after contracting COVID-19? If so, how long do they last? Are there so many of them that they can protect against recurrence? These are questions that are important not only in the context of the disease itself, but above all in disease prevention. Scientists are currently working on a COVID-19 vaccine to protect against the disease. However, to know if it will be effective, you need to better understand the mechanism of building resistance to this particular coronavirus.
A new, small study published in the journal Nature Medicine sheds some light on these issues. The researchers studied 37 asymptomatic patients diagnosed with SARS-CoV-2 infection by RT-PCR and an equal number of symptomatic patients.
To test the immune system’s response to coronavirus infection, researchers measured virus-specific IgG and IgM antibodies in the serum samples tested. Scientists have found that in asymptomatic patients antibodies to COVID-19 last for about 2-3 months.
However, this does not mean that people who have contracted COVID-19 can get sick a second time. Experts say that even low levels of strong neutralizing antibodies can still play a protective role. This is the result of an article published in the journal Nature.
Since most people get infected asymptomatically, they may not even know that they have been infected and have recovered. If you suspect that you may be sick and want to be sure, it is worth having a blood test for COVID-19 antibodies. We recommend the immune package – COVID-19 antibodies + vitamin D, which you can buy at Medonet Market.
Symptomatic patients have more antibodies
Researchers found that people with no symptoms of infection responded less to infection with the virus than those who did develop symptoms. In 40 percent in asymptomatic subjects, antibody levels had dropped to undetectable, compared to 13 percent. with symptoms. It is also worth noting that the decrease was only in antibodies against one viral protein. The second set of antibodies directed at the so-called coronavirus peak protein was still present.
Scientists realize that the study had its limitations. First of all – a small research sample. Second, the researchers failed to take into account the protection offered by immune cells that can either fight the virus on their own or make antibodies when the virus attacks. Another study found that the coronavirus stimulates a strong cellular autoimmune response.
Dr. Akiko Iwasaki, a viral immunologist at Yale University, said the latest research shows the need to develop potent vaccines because the immunity that develops naturally during infection is suboptimal and short-lived in most people. She also added that we cannot rely on a natural infection for herd immunity.
Editors recommend:
- “Antibody cocktail” against COVID-19 tested on humans in the USA
- Plasma collected from cows will be tested in the fight against COVID-19
- Lama antibodies to fight COVID-19
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