The recent SIREN study conducted in the UK at the Public Health England (PHE) involving over 20,000 healthcare professionals has discovered that immunity derived by COVID-19 infection is stronger and more effective at warding off the novel coronavirus than the vaccine developed by Oxford-AstraZeneca.?
The participants involved in the study were given monthly antibody tests as well as weekly PCR swabs to look for infectious between the months of June and November. The process helped researchers look for infections in both symptomatic as well as asymptomatic cases.
Researchers discovered that out of the over 20,000 participants, 6,614 had tested positive for the presence of antibodies. And out of the 6,614, researchers discovered 44 potential reinfections (two probable, 42 possible).?
According to PHE scientists, this indicates the previous infection offers 83 percent protection against reinfection, while also reducing the likelihood of developing symptoms and showing severe effects of the disease.?
This basically means that the effectiveness of antibodies caused by natural infection is more effective compared to just 62.1 percent effectiveness of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine when administered with two standard doses.?
According to Professor Susan Hopkins from PHE, (who is also the lead author of the study), this method is more stringent than what¡¯s used in the testing of vaccines, which looks mainly at symptomatic cases.?
In the PHE study, only 15 people from the group of 44 reinfected individuals developed symptoms. She even stated that Pfizer/BioNTech's efficacy rate of 95 per cent is therefore likely to be inflated as it does not factor in asymptomatic infections.?
The study also highlights that natural infections offer immunity for up to five months. They are only able to go so far since that was the duration of the study. The researchers however do highlight the fact that even if they don¡¯t show symptoms of the novel coronavirus, they could still be carrying the virus with them. So they should still be following the social distancing rules that have been laid out.
Hopkins added, ¡°We now know that most of those who have had the virus, and developed antibodies, are protected from reinfection, but this is not total and we do not yet know how long protection lasts. This means even if you believe you already had the disease and are protected, you can be reassured it is highly unlikely you will develop severe infections. But there is still a risk you could acquire an infection and transmit (it) to others.¡±