A study published Wednesday in the medical journal Lancet shows that people who have been infected with the SARS-CoV-2 virus in the past have not developed complete immunity to the virus.
A study published Wednesday in the medical journal Lancet shows that people who have been infected with the SARS-CoV-2 virus in the past have not developed complete immunity to the virus, according to Forbes. Older people are even more vulnerable to the disease. Next, the best defense formula is the vaccine.
The study was conducted on a large sample of millions of people who underwent PCR testing during mass testing programs in the spring of last year and fall in Denmark.
The initiators of the study in Denmark point out, however, that at the time of PCR test data collection, the new SARS-CoV-2 strains did not yet exist. Therefore, the high degree of infectivity of the new strains could also change the conclusions of the study on predisposition to reinfection.
According to a team of researchers in Copenhagen, only 0.65% of those who tested positive in the spring tested positive for COVID-19 in the second wave of infections in the autumn. Therefore, specialists believe that the participants were 80.5% protected from antibodies.
However, in the case of the elderly, over 65 years old, the rate of antibody protection is much lower, of only 47.1%.
Since the beginning of the pandemic, specialists have been closely monitoring the degree of reinfection of former COVID-19 patients, according to Mediafax. It seems that with the first contact of the body with the virus, the level of antibodies in the body strengthens the immune system and in the case of a reinfection, the form of the disease is much easier. However, the results indicated that resistance to reinfection decreases with age and the elderly segment remains vulnerable.
The study confirmed that the elderly are more exposed to reinfection due to a weakened immune system. Because of this, they may develop severe forms of COVID-19 disease. Researchers are drawing attention to vaccination and advising all seniors to get vaccinated because they cannot rely on “protection provided by the immune system.” Although the effectiveness of vaccines varies, they all effectively protect against a severe form of COVID-19.
The overall conclusion of the study in the Lancet is that “all this data confirms that in order to defend ourselves against the SARS-CoV-2 virus we need a comprehensive vaccination program, this is the only sure way to protect against the disease.”
Source: Descopera.ro
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