Asymptomatic COVID-19 patients lose antibodies sooner: Study

LONDON: A study by Imperial College, London, found that asymptomatic COVID-19 patients tend to lose detectable antibodies sooner than those who have suffered the symptoms. The study also suggested that the loss of antibodies was slower in 18-24-year-olds compared to those aged above 75.

Hundreds of thousands of samples were tested from across England between mid-June and late September and the results showed that presence of antibodies fell by more than a quarter. The research was commissioned by British Government and was published on Tuesday, October 23, by Imperial College. It showed that immune response of the people against COVID-19 reduces over time. 3,65,000 adults were picked randomly for the study done at home by administering three rounds of finger prick tests for novel coronavirus antibodies.

James Bethell, Junior Health Minister, Government of Britain, said that this is an important piece of research which will help us to understand the nature of COVID-19 antibodies over time. At national level, it meant that population with antibodies fell from 6.0 to 4.4 per cent according to the study.

The study also found that the number of workers who tested positive for COVID-19 did not change over time. This means that there is prevalence of repeated or high exposure to the virus.