COVID antibodies persist even after 9 months: Study

NEW DELHI: A study conducted by the Imperial College London and University of Padua concluded that nine months after testing positive for SARS-CoV-2 infection, one shows high antibody levels. Researchers collected data by testing more than 85 per cent of the 3000 residents of Vo, Italy during the initial months of 2020 and then again in November. 

The team observed that 98 per cent of people who were infected in the months of February/March had detectable levels of antibodies in November regardless of their symptoms. 

Three ‘assays’ were used to infer the different types of antibodies and their interaction with the virus. While there was some decline between May and November, the rate of decay deferred according to the assay type. Dr Ilaria Dorigatti, lead author, MRC Centre for Global Infectious Disease Analysis Imperial, stated that there was no evidence proving that antibody levels differ between symptomatic and asymptomatic infections. However, there was a difference in antibody levels based on the time of test administration and the type of test used. 

The data collected by the research team also showed the impact of control measures. The team stated that the manual contact tracing, case isolation, short lockdowns would not have been enough to control the raging pandemic. Professor Crisanti noted that manual contact tracing would have had a limited impact on the pandemic had it not been accompanied by mass screening.