This archive report was first published on 13 July 2020.
July 13, 2020 - Researchers at King's College London have made a significant discovery about the duration of immunity to coronavirus infections.
According to their study, patients who recover from COVID-19 may lose their immunity to reinfection within months. The team, led by researchers from King's College London, examined the levels of antibodies in over 90 confirmed virus patients and how they changed over time.
While the study found that 60 percent of patients showed a 'potent' viral response in the first few weeks after infection, only 16.7 percent maintained high levels of COVID-19-neutralising antibodies after three months. In fact, several patients had no detectable antibodies in their bloodstream after 90 days.
Experts say the findings may change how governments plan for the next phase of the pandemic, including how they fund and organise vaccine research and development.
"This is an important study that starts to define the longer-term dynamics of the antibody response to SARS-CoV-2," said Lawrence Young, professor of Molecular Oncology at the University of Warwick.
James Gill, an honorary Clinical Lecturer at Warwick Medical School, added that the research reiterated the need for everyone to continue taking measures to mitigate the virus spreading, particularly at the start of Europe's holiday season.
