Antibodies against COVID-19 fade post recovery; Reduces immunity
New Delhi : Coronavirus is hard on everyone. For those of us who are getting infected, it surely isn't a smooth journey. The road to recovery is bumpy and risky and many are losing the battle with COVID-19 due to lack of immunity or their underlying health conditions. But the only relief that most people who recover have is that they have antibodies and might be immune to coronavirus and that is the only thing that keeps them at peace and that might not go on for much longer.
Recovering from COVID-19 might not guarantee protection from this deadly and highly contagious virus. We've heard of numerous cases where people have gotten infected again after healing and they're not just random odd cases. A cautionary report about the herd immunity and vaccine suggests that people with mild cases of coronavirus might not have lasting protection from COVID-19 in the future. This research was conducted on patients with mild symptoms who did not need intensive care and managed to recover and had antibodies against coronavirus. These antibodies were analysed about 37 days after the onset of symptoms and then 86 days. As compared to the other coronavirus infection, SARS, the antibodies in this strain of coronavirus fell rapidly within the 2-time frames.
This study which was published in the England Journal of Medicine is not the only one. The antibodies, their response and lifespan are being largely studied by researchers across the globe as it can help us understand how long-lasting the immunity against this virus might be and also the durability of a vaccine. Majority of the cases are of mild infection and if the immune response is not long-lasting it may increase the chances of reinfection and while there aren't too many cases of reinfection but it can have an impact on people across the globe if and when the second wave hits. A study conducted by King's College London revealed that after 3 months of the infection the antibodies are so low that they are nearly undetectable but our body may have other immune response in the form of T-cells.
