Immunity against the CoViD-19 may last for years, Zurich-based Bacolod vaccinologist Dr. Melvin Sanicas said.
Sanicas, in his Facebook account, said the “most robust study” so far on COVID-19 immunity showed that it may last for years, perhaps even decades.
Sanicas cited a study by researchers at the La Jolla Institute for Immunology that, although not yet been peer-reviewed, is consistent with similar findings from other groups.
In this study, most of the 185 participants who had COVID-19 (and recovered) could still ‘fight’ the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus eight months later.
The slow rate of decline in immunity suggests protection may last a long time, Sanicas said.
Some months ago, reports of waning antibody levels made people worry that immunity may disappear quickly and make people vulnerable to the virus again.
It is normal for antibody levels to drop, Sanicas said, adding that antibodies are just one arm of the immunesystem.
Sanicas also cited a study in Nature.com which showed that those who have recovered from COVID-19 have protective killer immune cells even when antibodies are NOT detectable.
This is again consistent with another recent finding from Duke-NUS Medical School investigators that showed survivors of #SARS (not SARS-CoV-2) still carry important immune cells over 17 after recovery.
