Illustrative image of a PCR test.

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AFP

Asymptomatic people lose their antibodies more quickly than those who have experienced symptoms of the coronavirus, according to a British study by Imperial College London and Ipsos Mori.

From June 20 to September 28, the two organizations followed 350,000 randomly selected people in England, who regularly self-tested at home to see if they had antibodies to Covid-19.

"During this period, the proportion of people who tested positive for Covid-19 antibodies decreased by 26.5%", from 6% to 4.4% of the population tested, explains a press release, "which suggests a reduction in antibodies in the weeks or months after infection ”.

Especially in the elderly

"The results also suggest that people who have not shown symptoms related to Covid-19 are likely to lose their detectable antibodies more quickly than those who have shown symptoms," the study adds.

The proportion of antibodies in people who tested positive for the virus decreased by 22.3% over the three months, when this decrease reached 64% in those who had not declared to have been affected by Covid-19.

The study also underlines that, if all age groups are affected by this decrease, the elderly are more affected: between June and September, the proportion of people over 75 years old with antibodies decreased by 39%. , when it fell by only 14.9% for 18-24 year olds.

"This study constitutes a crucial element of the research, by helping us to understand how the antibodies of Covid-19 evolve over time", welcomed the Secretary of State for Health James Bethell.

However, "it is not yet known whether the antibodies confer an effective level of immunity or, if such immunity exists, how long it lasts," said Imperial College London and Ipsos Mori, asking the British in their statement to continue to follow the sanitary instructions.

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