CHICAGO: A study conducted by Michigan University has revealed that even after mild COVID-19, the antibodies developed can protect from reinfection for up to 6 months.
The antibodies ability to defeat Covid-19 does not change even after six months of infection, found in a study conducted by Michigan Medicine. However, researchers during the study analyzed nearly about 130 subjects with PCR-confirmed COVID-19 illness between three and six months after initial infection.
The results revealed shows that, three patients were hospitalized, while the rest were treated as outpatients and experienced mild infection with symptoms including headaches, chills, and loss of taste or smell.
Though, nearly 90% of participants produced spike and nucleocapsid antibody responses, and all but one had persistent antibody levels at follow up. Charles Schuler, author of the research published in ‘Microbiology Spectrum’, said that, “Previously, there was a lot of concern that only those with severe COVID-19 produced strong antibody responses to infection”. He further stated, “We’re showing that people with mild bouts of COVID-19 did really well after their infection, made antibodies, and kept them.”
Meanwhile, during the observation period of participants, none of the subjects who produced antibodies were re-infected as compared to 15 antibody-negative patients. Researchers further found that antibodies’ ability to neutralize COVID-19 did not differ significantly from the first visit of the patient, which occurred three months after infection and to the second visit at the six-month period.
One of the research author also mentioned that, “To our knowledge, this is the first prospective study that demonstrates such a risk reduction for clinical reinfection in this specific type of population”. Moreover, the team researchers are now analyzing samples of this subject group taken up to a year after infection to evaluate further about antibody responses.
However, the world is fighting efficiently against the fourth wave of coronavirus as the new cases reported are on continuous decline and earlier in Pakistan on Saturday, the cases count reported was under 1,000 which is for the first time in three months.
