How long do you think COVID-19 immunity typically lasts? Weeks, months, or maybe years? But researchers have mixed opinions on the immunity from coronavirus. The new study suggests that this immunity is long-term and it is also possible for it to last for decades.
Spending eight months in this deadly pandemic, people who have contracted this virus and recovered contain antibodies which are basically a record of this virus. This new study proposes that the body takes a long time to decline these antibodies, meaning they will remain inside the body for a very long time.
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This study is only published online and is not currently reviewed by any expert.
By far this is the longest ranging research on immunity derived from coronavirus. If this immunity turns out to be true, it means people can actually prevent contracting the virus, hospitalization, and disease risk later.
These findings are released at a time when most countries are battling with the second wave of coronavirus. Many pharmaceutical companies are trying hard to develop the best COVID-19 vaccine. Understanding viral immunity can make any covid vaccine better and more efficient. Without an effective vaccine, there are no chances of this pandemic to end, other than if the virus naturally completes its cycle and vanishes.
This study is being discussed with another study which investigates the SARS pandemic survivors and understands their immunity, even after 17 years of recovering. The results from both studies and many other studies are somewhat consistent. Earlier, some of the studies declared that immune cells that contain the memory of viral infection can last for three months after recovering from Covid-19.
Another study which was published last week suggested that Covid-19 recovered patients contain protective cells. these cells are detectable even in the absence of antibodies.
All these studies suggest the same thing that if a person completes the infected period and successfully beats the virus, this whole struggle leaves some imprints in his body. some of the researchers are surprised to see these results because many Covid-19 patients are being re-infected but many others believe it was bound to happen.
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This current study is by far the first one that has studied viral response on such a large scale. But still, these results cant be conclusive because research is also evolving as the virus is changing. Still, many researchers believe that COVID-19 immunity is only short-lived and it can vanish quickly, increasing the chance for reinfection.
The reinfection cases that are coming forward are often associated with this misinterpreted covid immunity. However, there are so many factors that need to be investigated before reaching a conclusive end. There is no complete study on any reinfected case and most of these cases are recorded among healthcare workers.
There are also high chances that these people were not diagnosed correctly during the first infection. Putting an end to understand COVID-19 immunity is probably not possible at this stage while battling with an on-going pandemic and that too without a vaccine test. But studies like these are highly encouraging that researchers are trying their best to understand the mechanism and spread of this virus. It can save from reinfection and another pandemic next time.
