People With Antibodies Have COVID-19 Protection For 6 Months, Says Oxford Study
The study was conducted by NHS, where researchers looked at 12,180 healthcare workers in Oxford hospitals from April to November 2020. Researchers conducted an antibody test to see the level of antibodies in their bodies and witnessed some rather astonishing results.
With COVID-19 showing no signs of stopping, people around the world are constantly in the fear of contracting the novel coronavirus.
We all are desperately waiting for the vaccines to start rolling into the market and helping our world get back to normal.
Reuters
However, people who have fought the novel coronavirus have antibodies in them that protect them from getting SARS CoV-2 again. And now, new research from Oxford University shows that these antibodies can protect the individual for at least 6 months.
The tests revealed that 1,246 healthcare workers out of the 12,180 had already gotten infected with the novel coronavirus when the study started, but they didn¡¯t show any symptoms. Three of these individuals later tested positive for SARS CoV-2 and surprisingly, none of them developed any symptoms whatsoever.
Moreover, regular testing also showed that 89 out of the 11,052 individuals who had tested negative in the past developed an infection along with the symptoms. More 76 members of the staff who were previously infected, tested and found positive were asymptomatic.
Overall, 168 of those with no prior infection later tested positive or showed symptoms for the novel coronavirus.
Professor David Eyre of the University of Oxford's Nuffield Department of Population Health, explained, ¡°This ongoing study involving a large cohort of healthcare workers has shown that being infected with COVID-19 does offer protection against reinfection for most people for at least six months. We found no new symptomatic infections in any of the participants who had tested positive for antibodies, while 89 of those who had tested negative did contract the virus. This is really good news, because we can be confident that, at least in the short term, most people who get COVID-19 won't get it again.¡±
Reuters
Studies have shown that the level of antibodies tends to drop as the days go by, however, according to Professor Eyre, even after they¡¯ve dropped below detectable levels, it is possible that they provide some sort of protection. Researchers say that it¡¯s too soon to gauge if there is long-term information post six months, however, they¡¯re quite encouraged and excited by the current findings.
