Suara.com – Recent research conducted by Imperial College London revealed, immunity Corona virus (Covid-19) can only last a few months after infection.
The study estimated that only 4.4 percent of adults had Covid-19 immunity in September, when cases began to rise again. This compares with data for six percent of people with antibodies between June 20 and July 13, and 4.8 percent between July 31 and August 31.
According to research by the Department of Health and Social Care, the number of people with antibodies fell 26.5 percent over three months.
The study involved more than 365,000 randomly selected adults in the UK who used a home finger prick antibody test.
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Between June 20 and September 28, the proportion of people who tested positive for antibodies fell from 6 percent of the population to 4.4 percent. This indicates that antibodies are reduced in the weeks or months after a person is infected.
Health Minister Lord Bethell said the study made it clear that people are not immune from the Coronavirus simply because they test positive for antibodies.
“This study, led by Imperial and Ipsos MORI, is an important piece of research, helping us understand the antibody properties of Covid-19 over time and improve our understanding of the virus itself,” Bethell said, as quoted. Mirror, Wednesday (28/10/2020).
Bethell said the government too is counting on this kind of research to inform its response to the right next course of action to tackle disease.
“It’s also important for everyone to know what this means for them. This research will help our fight against the virus. A test that shows a positive antibody does not mean the person is immune to Covid-19,” added Bethell.
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Not only that, the antibody response also appears to vary over time depending on a person’s age and symptoms.
The research shows that people who don’t show symptoms of Covid-19 tend to lose detectable antibodies more quickly than people who have signs of the disease.
The findings also showed antibody loss was slower at 18 to 24 years of age, compared with people aged 75 and over.
“Our research shows that over time there is a decrease in the proportion of people who test positive for antibodies to the Covid-19 virus. It is not yet clear what level of immunity these antibodies will have or how long this immunity will last,” said Professor Paul Elliott, director of the REACT program.
Experts say it is currently not known whether this will put people at risk of being reinfected or not.
The results showed the first wave of the epidemic occurred in a short time in March and April. There appears to be a sharp drop in the proportion of people who have symptoms of Covid-19 and who have tested positive for antibodies since early April.
Positive antibody tests appear to be decreasing in the general population, while the number of healthcare workers testing positive has not changed. Scientists believe this could be due to higher initial or repeated exposure.
Regardless of the antibody test results, everyone must continue to adhere to government guidelines including social distancing, self-isolation and being tested if they have symptoms and always wash their hands.
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