In a new study from the University of California, Los Angeles, researchers found in people who have already had COVID-19, the natural antibodies may last as long as 20 months.
But they are quick to caution that the new findings don’t necessarily mean you’re protected against reinfection, and that vaccines remain an important part of a COVID-19 prevention strategy.
In the study, researchers measured levels of antibodies in the blood of 816 unvaccinated U.S. adults.
They found antibodies in 99% of those who said they had a positive COVID-19 test result; 55% of folks who believed they had COVID-19 but were never tested; and 11% who didn’t think they ever had COVID-19.
Almost everyone with a documented COVID-19 infection had antibodies, and these antibodies seem to persist for quite a long time.
The team says researchers really need to start incorporating antibodies from natural immunity into the context of immunity evaluation, moving from vaccine verification to immunity verification.
Still, they cautioned, no level of antibody is a guarantee that you won’t get reinfected.
Other studies have shown that natural COVID-19 antibodies wane over time, often in about six months.
The new study looked at data on a group of people at one point in time. Other studies that follow the same people at several points in time have shown that natural antibodies do drop.
The team says that importantly, just because you have natural antibodies doesn’t mean you are protected against reinfection.
People who had more severe COVID-19 disease do have higher antibody levels but that doesn’t protect them forever.
Researchers suggest that people get vaccinated and boosted when they are able, wear masks in public places, practice social distancing, and stay home when they are sick.
If you care about Covid, please read studies about omicron variant: what you need to know, and antibodies that could neutralize Omicron.
For more information about health, please see recent studies that some at-home COVID-19 tests may fail to detect omicron early, and results showing that current COVID-19 vaccines cannot effectively prevent omicron infection.
The study is published in JAMA and was conducted by Dr. Otto Yang et al.
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