COVID-19 antibodies may fade while you are recovering from infection

A new study on COVID-19 patients who displayed a wide range of disease suggests that antibodies disappear quickly during convalescence.

By: Jahnavi Sarma | | Updated: December 9, 2020 9:40 am

IgA and IgM antibodies to the SARS-CoV-2 virus disappear quickly during convalescence. IgG antibodies may persist for longer.

There are a few studies that say that COVID-recovered patients carry antibodies that prevent re-infection. These antibodies give them a certain level of immunity from the virus for a certain period of time. While some reports have come out saying antibodies to coronavirus may last longer, a new study has revealed that the antibodies fade rapidly post contracting the SARS-CoV-2 virus, the virus that causes COVID-19. Also Read - Akshay Kumar, Piyush Mishra, Sonam Kapoor and more Bollywood celebs who opened up on facing sexual abuse in childhood

A new five-month longitudinal analysis of COVID-19 patients who displayed a wide range of disease severity – from asymptomatic to deadly illness – suggests that IgA and IgM antibodies to the SARS-CoV-2 virus disappear quickly during convalescence. IgG antibodies likely persist for longer, but the research team from the Stanford University in the US, documented a slow, inexorable decline in this antibody class as well, even in severely ill patients who mounted very strong initial antibody responses. Also Read - Test Article 2 Covid 19 3rd wave

Questions raised on reliability of seroprevalence studies

For the study, published in the journal Science Immunology, the research team studied 983 plasma samples collected up to five months post-infection from 79 hospitalised COVID-19 patients and 175 outpatients and asymptomatic people infected with SARS-CoV-2. The researchers found a higher ratio of antibodies that react to the viral spike protein complex (versus those that target the nucleocapsid protein) in patients with mild illness compared with the severely ill patients, suggesting that this preponderance of spike-reactive antibodies may have helped to blunt the severity of symptoms. Also Read - COVID-19 Live Updates: Cases in India surge to 10,757,610 while death toll reaches 1,54,392 12d

To facilitate their work, they also developed an immunoassay that can detect successful blocking of the viral receptor-binding domain’s interaction with the human ACE2 receptor in human samples, providing an effective surrogate for detecting neutralizing antibodies. The authors said their findings may raise important questions about the reliability of seroprevalence studies, since the rapid waning of antibody titters may lead to an underestimation of how many people may have been previously infected in a given population.

Will vaccination be effective?

According To researchers, the decrease in antibodies after infection also raises the question of how long antibodies elicited by vaccination will last, and whether frequent boosting will be needed to maintain protection. Recently, a study published in the Journal of Infectious Diseases in November, revealed that the vast majority of individuals have detectable antibodies up to three months post contracting COVID-19 virus.

Importance of antibodies in preventing infection

Antibodies are Y shaped proteins produced by the immune system of the body to kill harmful pathogens like bacteria, fungi, viruses and even chemicals. These are also known as immunoglobulins. These are the body’s defense mechanism to keep infections at bay. If you get an infection, then your body will produce antibodies so that you do not get the same infection again. It enables your immune system to recognize the threat and neutralize it. In the COVID-19 context, antibodies in recovered patients ensure that their body can fight off the virus in future. But how long these antibodies last is a question that many experts are trying to answer. While some studies say that it may last for 2 to 6 months, others say it may last only for 30 days.

(With inouts from IANS)

Published : December 8, 2020 2:20 pm | Updated:December 9, 2020 9:40 am

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