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COVID SCIENCE UPDATE

Milder coronavirus infections generate fewer antibodies, studies suggest


Any immunity to coronavirus reinfection among people who already have had COVID-19 might wane after a few months, particularly if their infection was mild, two studies suggest.

Researchers at Kings College London tracked 65 COVID-19 patients for up to 94 days. All but two developed neutralizing antibodies that defend against future virus attacks, the researchers reported on Saturday on the website medRxiv in advance of peer review.

People with more severe infections had more neutralizing antibodies, but in everyone, levels of such antibodies peaked after three to four weeks and then declined.

Antibodies are protective proteins generated by the immune system in response to an invading pathogen. "If the person had a high peak antibody level, then the neutralizing antibody level was still high after two to three months," study leader Katie Doores told Reuters.

But in people with milder infections, who developed fewer neutralizing antibodies, those antibodies started to disappear after two to three months, similar to what is seen in patients who recover from seasonal coronaviruses that cause common colds.

"We are not trying to say that immunity is gone after three months. There are still many unknowns that need to be addressed, especially the level of antibody that would be needed for protection from infection," Doores said.

"In terms of vaccine, this study suggests that a booster vaccination may be required," Doores added.

In a separate study published on Monday in the journal Nature Medicine, Australian researchers reported that 41 people who had experienced mild to moderate cases of COVID-19 had inconsistent and "generally modest" neutralizing antibody responses. This adds to evidence that milder infections in most people do not provoke a full immune response that might provide some future protection. -- Reuters

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