According to a study published today, Monday, those recovering from the emerging coronavirus may lose immunity to it within months, with experts indicating that these data may have a "significant" impact on how governments deal with the "Covid-19" epidemic.
In a study of its first of its kind, researchers from King's College in London examined the levels of antibodies in more than 90 people with the emerging coronavirus, and watched how they changed over time.
Blood tests showed that the immune response to the virus appeared even in individuals who had minor symptoms.
Sixty per cent of the group studied had a "strong" immune response in the first weeks after infection. However, after three months, only 16.7 percent of them maintained high levels of Covid-19 antibodies. While a few patients lost any detectable antibody in their blood.
When the body is exposed to an external danger, such as infection with a virus, the immune system generates cells that monitor and eliminate these viruses. For this purpose, the body produces proteins that carry antibodies that are specially formulated to target those antigens.
As long as the person has enough of these antibodies, his body is able to prevent any infection, which gives him immunity.
However, the study published Monday showed that immunity against the emerging corona virus may not last more than months, and this is also the case for immunity to other viruses such as influenza.