For those having high hopes for antibodies as a shield against COVID-19, a Chinese study discovered that antibodies may not be as effective as we hoped.
While looking for a coronavirus cure, researchers are using antibodies hoping to unlock their long-lasting benefits for COVID-19 patients. But it seems that it is not the case, as the antibodies in the recovered patients have drastically reduced in 2 to 3 months according to Reuters.
Antibodies may not hold the cure
This was true for both symptomatic and asymptomatic patients that were concluded in a study by Chinese researchers. If immunity for the coronavirus is brief and it declines within months, this means that discovering a vaccine fast is truly vital. Hopes of creating a vaccine from anti-bodies is now under re-examination.
For a while, researchers have been harvesting plasma from recovered patients to get the precious antibodies, that apparently they will need replenishment.
According to the study that was recently published on Nature Medicine, combating this highly-communicable disease will be effective with continued social distancing measures. This includes the separation of high-risk individuals from the general population as well.
It should be noted that in Germany, there is a move to argue over permitting anyone with an incidence of anti-bodies to move about. This is an effort to guard against transmission of the COVID-19.
Antibody study yields surprising results
The objective of the study is the observation of patients that were symptomatic and asymptomatic, and both categories had 37 subjects each. During the course of the study, those who tested positive for amounts of the IgG antibody were cited.
These IgG antibodies were produced after the body encountered the COVID-19. Evidence points out that 90% had reductions in antibodies that will lessen in 2-3 months after infection, as reported by Tribune India.
One of the observations from the researchers is the decrease of antibodies is more than 70%, which includes both symptomatic and asymptomatic patients. As of now, researchers are still trying to figure out why the antibodies are decreasing for both symptomatic and asymptomatic patients.
In the case of neutralizing serum antibodies, the middle percentage of the reduction in symptomatic individuals is 11.7%, but asymptomatic individuals would be at 8.3%.
The research was done by scientists at Chongqing Medical University. Jin Dong-Yan, a virology professor from the University of Hong Kong, was also a part of the group that conducted the study. He said that even if antibodies were limited, there might be elements of the immune system that will protect from COVID-19, according to Plataforma.
If infected, some cells will know how to deal with pathogens. The second round of infections will elicit an immunological response. Most of the data is new and scientists are still finding out how to deal with the coronavirus.
More studies are revealing how the COVID-19 works and how to stop the infection from getting more virulent.
Related topic: The Best Way to Detect Anti-Bodies Are Blood Tests to See the True Scale of the Coronavirus Pandemic
