COVID-19 Immunity, Longer Than We Thought

 In recent experimental studies, the common knowledge was that COVID-19 immunity may last for 3 months. Now, researchers are saying that COVID-19 immunity may last for years, decades even, making the prior 3 month immunity look pathetic. These researchers hail from the La Jolla Institute of Immunology and this research has not been peer-reviewed or published on a notable site, yet, as other labs are coming to similar conclusions of longer lasting immunity. 

Their study consisted of 185 COVID-19 recovery patients, with mild symptoms, and experimental findings show that after 8 months, these individuals were still protected from the virus. Blood samples were taken to determine immune response and antibody count. This study brings hope for mass vaccination, as boosters, which were previously thought to have been needed to secure long-lasting immunity, would not be needed.

In this short-term study over an 8 month period, they show a slow declining rate of antibodies/immune cells, contributing to the long-term effects. Though this study is still deemed "short-term", this presents the longest time period of a study of COVID-19 antibodies yet. Even if the immune cells/antibodies do not protect the individual from acquiring the illness entirely, this still brings hope to hospital and healthcare responsibility as protecting a majority of people from becoming hospitalized or acquiring severe disease is a step in the right direction for our world moving forward. Now, because boosters may not be needed, the pandemic can be more controlled and eradication is not out of the question.

In addition, the article also cited that SARS survivors, another coronavirus, have immune cells/antibodies  even 17 years after infection! The previously thought 3-month immunity derived from the University of Washington lab where memory cells were found to persist for that timeframe after infection. Even without antibody detection, other immune cells like killer immune cells, NK cells, are present. 

Individual variability is still a worry for some patients who did not amount proper immunity, but the good news is, vaccines can override this. 

- Liz

Article:

https://globalhealthnow.us14.list-manage.com/track/click?u=eb20503b111da8623142751ea&id=55f7a266d9&e=12719f7ab0