Many of these people did not have detectable levels of coronavirus antibodies in their blood, according to a new study of patients with Covid.
Do you think that just because you already have Covid 19, you are protected against the Covid 19 virus coronavirus and do not need the Covid 19 vaccine? Well, according to a new study, you better not be so sure.
A new study shows that 36% of people with Covid 19 did not have SARS-CoV-2 antibodies in their blood. This is a significant percentage and is another reason why you should get the vaccine even if you have had a Covid 19 infection before.
Researchers in a new study led by Vimin Liu and Beatrice Hahn of the University of Pennsylvania examined blood samples from 72 people who tested positive for coronavirus RT-PCR. All but two had symptoms, and 13 (18%) had mild illness, 48 (67%) had moderate illness, and 9 (12%) had severe illness. The researchers waited at least three weeks for anyone to have any symptoms before the blood test.
Only 46 of the 72 participants eventually had detectable antibodies to the coronavirus spike protein in their blood samples. In addition, the amount of antibodies detected varied significantly from person to person. The researchers found similar results for antibodies against other parts of the virus, including the receptor binding domain (RBD) and the nucleocapsid (N). Finally, 26 (36%) were serum-negative, meaning they never produced detectable levels of these antibodies in their blood. However, several blood samples were taken for each person.
Those who did not develop antibodies were, on average, 10 years younger than those who developed antibodies. People with a lower viral load in their airways were also less likely to have antibodies in their blood.
Of course, only 72 people participated in the new study, and it is not a large study; But this is not the first time that people with Covid 19 may not eventually develop antibodies. For example, as described in an article published in the journal EClinical Medicine, 5% of the 698 people who tested positive for the coronavirus were ultimately negative.
Another study, published in the Journal of Infectious Diseases, found that the rate was even higher among a group of New Yorkers (20%). Then a study from Germany in the Journal of Clinical Virology reported 85%.
Of course, antibodies are not the only measure of protection against SARS-CoV-2, and the lack of antibodies does not necessarily mean that you have no protection. Even without detectable antibodies, the immune system may have other active defense tools, although you may be more vulnerable to the virus due to the lack of antibodies.
While getting infected with the Covid 19 coronavirus is definitely not a pleasant experience, it is not equally bad for everyone. The severity of symptoms and problems can range from no symptoms to severe problems and death. In addition, the course of symptoms can be very different; Therefore, it can be expected that the immune protection from natural infection will also vary.
For these reasons, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and other public health professionals still recommend that you get the Covid 19 vaccine, regardless of whether or not you have had Covid 19 before.
Another reason to get vaccinated is that you do not know how strong the natural immunity is and how long it lasts. In contrast, Covid 19 vaccines offer a much more controlled and stable amount of exposure to the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein.
While people’s immune responses to the vaccine may not be the same, clinical trials have followed thousands of vaccinated individuals; Therefore, researchers have a better idea of what kind of immune protection the vaccine provides and how long its protection lasts; Therefore, if you are looking for immunity protection against Quid 19, vaccination may have more benefits than natural immunity.
A new study is published in the journal Emerging Infectious Disease.
