Study sheds new light on virus antibodies
Print Edition
Asymptomatic coronavirus sufferers appear to lose detectable antibodies sooner than people who have exhibited COVID-19 symptoms, according to one of the biggest studies of its kind in Britain published yesterday.
The findings by Imperial College London and market research firm Ipsos Mori also suggest the loss of antibodies was slower in 18-24 year-olds compared to those aged 75 and over.
Overall, samples from hundreds of thousands of people across England between mid-June and late September showed the prevalence of virus antibodies fell by more than a quarter.
The research, commissioned by the British government and published yesterday by Imperial, indicates people’s immune response to COVID-19 reduces over time following infection.
James Bethell, a junior health minister, called it “a critical piece of research, helping us to understand the nature of COVID-19 antibodies over time.”
But scientists involved cautioned that a great deal remains unknown about people’s long-term antibody response.
“It remains unclear what immunity antibodies provide, or how long this immunity lasts,” said Paul Elliott of Imperial’s School of Public Health.
The study involved 365,000 randomly selected adults administering at home three rounds of finger-prick tests for antibodies between June 20 and September 28. The number of people with antibodies fell 26.5 percent over the three months.
- About Us
- |
- Terms of Use
- |
-
RSS - |
- Privacy Policy
- |
- Contact Us
- |
- Shanghai Call Center: 962288
- |
- Tip-off hotline: 52920043
- 沪ICP证：沪ICP备05050403号-1
- |
- 互联网新闻信息服务许可证：31120180004
- |
- 网络视听许可证：0909346
- |
- 广播电视节目制作许可证：沪字第354号
- |
- 增值电信业务经营许可证：沪B2-20120012
Copyright © 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.
