In a new study, researchers found that patients may be able to fight off reinfection for at least six months after they recover from COVID-19.
This is because their immune system can “remember” the virus.
The research was conducted by a team at The Rockefeller University.
Previous research has caused concern by showing that neutralizing antibodies can decline quickly after infection with SARS-CoV-2.
But more recent studies have highlighted the role of other parts of the immune system in longer-term immunity.
In the study, the team examined 87 people with a confirmed COVID-19 diagnosis at a little over one month and six months after infection.
They found that while their antibodies may fade over time, they maintained levels of specific memory B cells.
The memory B cell responses do not decay after 6.2 months, but instead continue to evolve.
These cells can remember the pathogen and can, if faced with reinfection, prompt the immune system to reinitiate the production of virus-fighting antibodies.
The team says memory responses are responsible for protection from reinfection and are essential for effective vaccination.
The findings suggest that people who are infected with SARS-CoV-2 could mount a rapid and effective response to the virus upon re-exposure.
The researchers say that how long people can fight off reinfection to the new coronavirus and what immune process is involved are key to predicting the dynamics of the pandemic.
One author of the study is Michel C. Nussenzweig.
The study is published in Nature.
Copyright © 2021 Knowridge Science Report. All rights reserved.
