Researchers across the world are racing towards finding a vaccine to fight the deadly novel Coronavirus, but debates about any vaccine¡¯s potential to provide recipients with lasting immunity to the virus, are on the rise. Morerecently, US Health advisor Dr Anthony Fauci,?claimed that these vaccines mightnot be able to provide a long-term immunity.
Dr Anthony Fauci stated that he¡¯s ¡°cautiously optimistic¡±while also admitting the fact that there¡¯s never a guarantee. On the heels ofthis doubt about the effectiveness of the vaccine comes another study that claimsimmunity to COVID-19, even after recovery, may not last.
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Up until now most of us have been operating under the assumption that immunitymight save us all from coronavirus. However,?the new findings suggest that, like the common cold and flu, the viruscould infect people on an annual basis.
According to The Guardian, King's College London scientistsobserved more than 90 patients in the United Kingdom under the supervision ofhealthcare workers at an NHS facility.
They observed the response of the immune system to the levelof antibodies one develops after one contracts the virus. Based on this, theresearchers realised that the antibodies peaked three weeks after catching it,and then tremendously declined.
60 per cent people who got the virus developed a strongantibody response to the virus, while only 17 per cent of the same pool held on to this strength three months after getting the virus.
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Lead author, Dr Katie Doores, told The Guardian,?"People areproducing a reasonable antibody response to the virus, but it¡¯s waning over ashort period of time and depending on how high your peak is, that determineshow long the antibodies are staying."
This means antibody levels were highest and lasted longestin patients who had the most severe cases. The study claims that protectionfrom a vaccine may not be very long-lasting and the vaccine may need to bereformulated every year. In essence, people might require timely booster shotsin case a vaccine is developed.