Immunity to coronavirus lasts for months, studies show-WISH-TV | Indianapolis News | Indiana Weather

(CNN) —Immune to COVID-19 infection lasts for at least 5 months, researchers report — and probably longer.

Although the report may seem confusing and inconsistent Similar report from the UK this week, Actually it is not. The human body responds to infections by creating an army of immune compounds, some of which are initially overwhelmed and die quickly, while others are slowly constructed.

A new report released Wednesday shows that 90% of people who recover from COVID-19 infection maintain a stable antibody response.

“Antibodies to this virus have been reported to disappear quickly, but the opposite has been found. Over 90% of people with mild or moderate illness have strong enough antibodies to neutralize the virus. The response was shown in a statement by Florian Kramer, a professor of vaccine science at Mount Sinai School of Medicine, who led the research team.

“This is essential for effective vaccine development.”

The team examined the antibody response of more than 30,000 people who were positive for Covid-19 in Mount Sinai’s healthcare system between March and October. They characterized the antibody response as low, medium, and high. Over 90% had moderate to high levels or titers of antibodies to the viral spike protein. This is the structure used to tackle infected cells.

Next, we scrutinized 121 patients who recovered and donated plasma. We investigated again 3 months and 5 months after the first symptoms.

They saw a drop in some antibodies.But others stuck, they reported In journal science.

“The serum antibody titers we first measured in individuals were produced by plasmablasts, the cells that act as the first responders to the invading virus and produce the first seizures of the antibody that quickly diminish in intensity. It’s possible, “said Dr. Ania Wazimberg, clinical director. Antibody test at Mount Sinai Hospital.

“The persistent antibody levels observed thereafter can be produced by long-lived plasma cells in the bone marrow. This is similar to that found in other viruses, and they probably stayed here. It means that you will continue to follow this group to see if these levels are stable.

Antibodies are not the only defense that the immune system protects from infection, but they are an important front line of defense.

“This cannot provide conclusive evidence that these antibody reactions protect against reinfection, but we believe it is very likely to reduce the odds ratio for reinfection,” the team wrote. I have.

COVID-19 has only existed for less than a year, so scientists are still learning about it. The story of people being infected multiple times is mostly anecdotal, with few in between.

There are obvious concerns about this. If people develop permanent immunity to the virus after infection, it would be much better to get rid of the pandemic. And, of course, immunity is essential for a vaccine to work well.

It also occurs with other viruses. Measles is one example. A single attack of measles usually leaves someone with lifelong immunity — an effect known as bactericidal immunity. The same is true for smallpox, whose virus was eradicated in the 1970s by a global vaccination campaign. In addition, proper vaccination against measles and smallpox will completely prevent infection.

However, respiratory viruses such as influenza require caution. People can get the flu many times, and influenza vaccines generally provide only partial protection against infections and serious illnesses. Part of that is because the flu tends to mutate.

The coronavirus seems to be in the middle. They can cause common colds, but they are usually not fatal and have not been well studied. Until the advent of the deadly cousin SARS of Covid-19, there was little interest in the coronavirus.

Nevertheless, there is evidence that people can and do develop some immunity to the coronavirus.

“General human coronavirus studies have shown that neutralizing antibodies are induced. These antibodies last for years and provide protection from reinfection in the event of reinfection of an individual. It can also reduce the disease, “Wajnberg et al. Wrote.

“It is still unclear whether SARS-CoV-2 infection in humans will protect against reinfection and for how long.”

They said the next important step was to establish what is known as a protection correlation. These are compounds that can be measured in the blood and tell the doctor if someone has immunity. So you don’t have to wait for another infection after a single attack or after vaccination.