Table of contents:
- The antibodies of patients who recovered from COVID-19 did not last long
- 1,024,298
- 831,330
- 28,855
- Does this mean that a person can be infected a second time?
Many things remain a big question for scientists regarding the SARS-CoV-2 virus that causes COVID-19. One of them, will the body of a patient who has recovered from COVID-19 have antibodies and become immune?
Recent studies have shown that antibodies in recovered COVID-19 patients will continue to decline and last only two to three months.
The antibodies of patients who recovered from COVID-19 did not last long
Antibodies are protective proteins that respond to infection with a virus. These antibodies are formed in people who are recovering from a viral infection and can protect the body from a second infection.
The level of antibodies present in the body of COVID-19 patients healed shows a rapid decrease in just a period of 2-3 months. A decrease in the presence of these antibodies occurs in both symptomatic patients and patients who are positive for COVID-19 without symptoms (OTG).
These results are based on research conducted by researchers Chongqing Medical University who questioned how long a person has been immune to coronavirus infection.
In this study, researchers studied 37 symptomatic COVID-19 patients and 37 asymptomatic COVID-19 patients. As a result, the average patient experienced a decrease in antibody levels of up to 70 percent. It was noted that OTG patients tended to experience a greater reduction in antibodies than symptomatic patients.
In other cases of corona virus infection, the patient's antibodies recovered last longer. For example, SARS and MERS are estimated to last about one year. Scientists hope the antibodies to SARS-CoV-2 last at least that long.
COVID-19 Outbreak updates Country: IndonesiaData1,024,298
Confirmed831,330
Recovered28,855
DeathDistribution MapDoes this mean that a person can be infected a second time?
Antibodies do have the ability to fight infection from the same virus a second time. However, this study does not explain the possibility of a recurrence of COVID-19 infection in recovered patients due to decreased antibody levels.
Some experts say that even the lowest antibody levels in the body may still have protective abilities. A study also shows the stimulation of other body cells that can provide protection.
"Most people generally focus on antibody levels and are unaware of the immunity they have in T cells," says Angela Rasmussen, a virologist at the University of Columbia.
T cells or T lymphocytes are white blood cells that play one of the major roles in the immune system. The power of T cells can kill viruses that enter the body.
Apart from the strength of T cells, there is such a thing as memory B cells, which are cells that have the task of remembering a virus or bad foreign substance that has entered the body.
"If they (memory B cells) find the virus again, they will remember and the body will make antibodies very quickly," said Florian Krammer, a virologist at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, USA.
Apart from antibodies, researchers are currently in the process of deepening the study of the ability of B cells and T cells to block a second infection in COVID-19 patients.
Another message was conveyed by Akiko Iwasaki, a viral immunologist at the University of Yale. He cautioned that this study shows the importance of vaccines for building immunity.
"These reports highlight the need to develop a strong vaccine, because the immunity that is built up naturally from infection is suboptimal and short-lived in most people," said Akiko. “We can't rely on natural infections to achieve herd immunity.”
