Representative Image
As a majority of the world collectively holds its breath waiting for COVID-19 vaccinations, indirect protective measures such as social distancing and wearing of masks have been keeping people out of the coronavirus' grasp. Furthermore, the development of antibodies in individuals that have successfully beaten the virus has also served as an 'antivirus' protection for themselves and those around them.
But with that said, there has been constant speculation on just how long these antibodies and the overall immunity against COVID-19 lasts in the human system. The clouds of mystery pertaining to this particular question continue to govern scientists, virologists, and researchers. Thus far, several studies have suggested that the antibodies against the infection may wane in just a few months after recovery, thereby raising concerns of contracting the infection more than once.
Now, a team of scientists from the Monash University in Australia has given the world a Christmas gift through their new study, which has indicated that immunity against COVID-19 can last for at least eight months. The research is all the more significant at the moment, when vaccines are still in their rollout phases.
"This has been a black cloud hanging over the potential protection that could be provided by any COVID-19 vaccine, and gives real hope that once a vaccine or vaccines are developed, they will provide long-term protection," said immunologist Menno van Zelm from Monash University.
The new study specifically took into account a type of cells in our immune system known as the memory B cells or MBC. These cells function to remember any infection that the human body contracts after being invaded by a pathogen, say virus. Therefore, if an individual contracts the virus again, MBC functions to trigger a protective immune response through its memory, and thus shields an individual from re-infection.
To understand the presence of memory cells, the team chased two main components of the SARS-CoV-2 virusthe spike and the nucleocapsid proteins. The study noted that the memory B cells were rapidly generated in all the patients following the infection, and remained detectable after 240 days. This very extended presence of the memory cells showcases a long-term immune response to COVID-19. It also highlights the fact that a patients immune system has the ability to fight when re-exposed to the pathogen by the rapid production of antibodies.
"These results are important because they show, definitively, that patients infected with the COVID-19 virus do in fact retain immunity against the virus and the disease," said Dr van Zelm.
Representative Image
Interestingly, the study also ascertained that even after months of virus spread, during which millions of positive infections have been found, there have not been many reported cases of re-infections among the population across the globe.
A similar study was recently published in the journal Emerging Infectious Diseases, which also confirmed the presence of antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 after 8 months of infection in most asymptomatic or mildly symptomatic patients. The study was conducted using the immunoassays test on 58 positive patients.
When attacked by a pathogen, our immune system produces proteins called antibodies in order to fight the infection. If the infected person can produce sufficient antibodies, he can recover from the disease caused by that pathogen.
To examine how long these antibodies last in case of COVID-19, researchers monitored about 25 people diagnosed with different severities of the disease, and then collected post-infection blood samples from themstarting from day 4 to day 242 after recovery. On the other hand, they also obtained data from 36 healthy control patients between March to September, so as to compare each patient's antibody presence and levels of virus-specific immune cells.
After examining this long period data, the researchers noted that the antibodies against COVID-19especially immunoglobulin (IgG), which is the most common antibody in the human bodystarted to fade in just 20 days post-infection, just like the previous studies had suggested.
Earlier, a similar research conducted by the Chongqing Medical University in China had also suggested that people who have recovered from COVID-19 showcased a sharp decline of up to 90% in their Immunoglobulin (IgG) antibodies within the time frame of 2-3 months.
The new research is a collaborative work between Monash University, The Alfred Hospital, and the Burnet Institute in Melbourne. The study was published in the journal Science Immunology on December 22, and can be accessed here.
**
For weather, science, and COVID-19 updates on the go, download The Weather Channel App (on Android and iOS store). It's free!
See the original post:
Immunity Against COVID-19 Post Recovery May Last for At Least 8 Months, Suggests New Study | The Weather Channel - Articles from The Weather Channel |...
- Overview of the Immune System - The Merck Manuals - March 18th, 2024
- SUNDAY Unraveling The Gut-Brain Connection: How Infant Gut Bacteria Shape Immune Resilience | TheHealthSit - TheHealthSite - March 18th, 2024
- Making drugs from T cells: The quantitative pharmacology of engineered T cell therapeutics | npj Systems Biology and ... - Nature.com - March 18th, 2024
- Study unlocks the mystery of neonatal neutropenia in newborns - News-Medical.Net - March 18th, 2024
- Vertebral Subluxation and Systems Biology: An Integrative Review Exploring the Salutogenic Influence of Chiropractic ... - Cureus - March 18th, 2024
- A new strategy to attack aggressive brain cancer shrank tumors in two early tests - ABC News - March 18th, 2024
- Turning on the Bat Signal - The Scientist - March 18th, 2024
- Power Foods That Can Support Your Immune System - Videos from The Weather Channel - The Weather Channel - March 18th, 2024
- Report: Aggressive brain tumors respond to new, immune-focused therapy - UPI News - March 18th, 2024
- Designer immune-cell therapy could shrink deadly brain tumors, early trials show - Livescience.com - March 18th, 2024
- 20.2: Introduction to the Immune System - Biology LibreTexts - February 27th, 2024
- Can one shot of yoghurt really boost your immunity and gut health? - Daily Mail - February 27th, 2024
- New cancer therapy approved by FDA supercharges bodys immune system - The Washington Post - February 27th, 2024
- How bubonic plague rewired the human immune system - BBC.com - February 27th, 2024
- Innovative therapy targets and destroys leukemia stem cells - News-Medical.Net - February 27th, 2024
- Participate in Our Study for $100; Open Slots This Week - University of Arkansas Newswire - February 27th, 2024
- Sexual dimorphism during integrative endocrine and immune responses to ionizing radiation in mice | Scientific Reports - Nature.com - February 27th, 2024
- Comprehensive pan-cancer analysis identifies the RNA-binding protein LRPPRC as a novel prognostic and immune ... - ScienceDirect.com - February 27th, 2024
- YOUR HEALTH: The HAMR fights cancer - WAFB - February 27th, 2024
- Cycles of a diet that mimics fasting can reduce signs of immune system aging, as well as insulin resistance and liver fat - News-Medical.Net - February 27th, 2024
- How the powerhouse of the cell could be cancers Achilles heel - Freethink - February 27th, 2024
- Food is medicine: The science behind zinc and other supplements for immune health - Healio - February 27th, 2024
- Unleashing Our Immune Response to Quash Cancer - Medscape - February 27th, 2024
- Tumor histoculture captures the dynamic interactions between tumor and immune components in response to anti-PD1 ... - Nature.com - February 27th, 2024
- Converging and evolving immuno-genomic routes toward immune escape in breast cancer - Nature.com - February 27th, 2024
- Sanjula Jain Urges a Comprehensive Approach in Address Alarming Rise in Cancer Cases Among Younger Populations - Managed Healthcare Executive - February 27th, 2024
- Cystic fibrosis breakthrough points to zinc as infection buster - New Atlas - February 27th, 2024
- Exploring synergies between B- and T-cell vaccine approaches to optimize immune responses against HIVworkshop ... - Nature.com - February 27th, 2024
- Is the 100-year old TB vaccine a new weapon against Alzheimers? - The Guardian - February 27th, 2024
- Immune system in the blood of Alzheimer's patients found to be epigenetically altered - News-Medical.Net - February 10th, 2024
- What impact does exercise have on your immune system? And how to stay well while cycling - BikeRadar - February 10th, 2024
- Had COVID recently? Here's what to know about how long immunity lasts, long COVID, and more - AAMC - February 10th, 2024
- Noor Momin harnesses the immune system to treat heart disease | Penn Today - Penn Today - February 10th, 2024
- Research reveals a process tumors use to induce immune suppressor cells and evade immunotherapy - Medical Xpress - February 10th, 2024
- Immune targeting of HIV-1 reservoir cells: a path to elimination strategies and cure - Nature.com - February 10th, 2024
- Preventing severe allergic reactions with nanoparticles - National Institutes of Health (NIH) (.gov) - February 10th, 2024
- Sugary handshakes are how cells talk to each other understanding these name tags can clarify how the immune ... - The Conversation Indonesia - February 10th, 2024
- Scientists have identified an immune cell that can cause allergies - EL PAS USA - February 10th, 2024
- Sickle cell and the importance of the immune system - Punch Newspapers - February 10th, 2024
- Which cancers can be treated with immune checkpoint inhibitors? - MD Anderson Cancer Center - February 10th, 2024
- How does waste leave the brain? Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis - Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis - February 10th, 2024
- Healthy Kids: Give your immune system a boost to stay healthy this winter - nbc16.com - February 10th, 2024
- The impact of prior exposure to hypoglycaemia on the inflammatory response to a subsequent hypoglycaemic episode ... - Cardiovascular Diabetology - February 10th, 2024
- Impact of Chronic Stress on Immune System and Depression | Health News - Medriva - February 10th, 2024
- I tried 'swamp soup,' the viral recipe that promises to boost your immune system - Yahoo News - February 10th, 2024
- Understanding Immune Checkpoint Inhibition Therapy: Challenges and Strategies - Medriva - February 10th, 2024
- One Simple Change May Dramatically Boost The Effect of COVID-19 Vaccines - ScienceAlert - February 10th, 2024
- The gut virome is associated with stress-induced changes in behaviour and immune responses in mice - Nature.com - February 10th, 2024
- Cancer vaccines are in the works to fight BRCA-linked gene mutations - The Philadelphia Inquirer - February 10th, 2024
- What are the organs of the immune system? - InformedHealth.org - NCBI ... - January 17th, 2024
- Novel insights into the immune response to bacterial T cell superantigens - Nature.com - January 17th, 2024
- FDA signs off on Takeda's HyQvia as maintenance therapy for CIDP - FiercePharma - January 17th, 2024
- CBDs Pobezinsky and Pobezinskaya Use Flow Cytometry to Determine How Tumor Cells Outwit the Bodys Immune ... - UMass News and Media Relations - January 17th, 2024
- Boosting. What To Do. - Science Based Medicine - January 17th, 2024
- Axelia Oncology takes its TLR2/6 agonist into the clinic to harness the innate immune system - BioWorld Online - January 17th, 2024
- Long COVID manifests with T cell dysregulation, inflammation and an uncoordinated adaptive immune response to ... - Nature.com - January 17th, 2024
- Opinion | Thanks to mRNA, Future Drugs Will Be Easier and Faster to Make - Mississippi Free Press - January 17th, 2024
- Elon research team models the COVID immune response, one equation at a time - Today at Elon - January 17th, 2024
- Are plant-based meals good for your immune system? 4 things to know about improving your health this week. - Yahoo Life - January 17th, 2024
- Scientists Find Key To Potential Breast Cancer Prevention, Treatment | Newsroom - UNC Health and UNC School of Medicine - January 17th, 2024
- What if every germ hit you at the exact same time? An immunologist explains - The Conversation - January 17th, 2024
- Why Don't We Have a Staph Vaccine? - Healthnews.com - January 17th, 2024
- Best ways to improve your immune system - The Business Standard - January 17th, 2024
- Stanford University researchers think future pandemics could be prevented with universal vaccines - KGO-TV - January 17th, 2024
- Why you may feel depressed and anxious when you're ill and how to cope with it - The Conversation - January 17th, 2024
- New mechanism with potential to boost checkpoint-blocking cancer immunotherapies identified - Medical Xpress - January 17th, 2024
- Battling Bugs and Blues: The Interplay of Infection and Emotion - News-Medical.Net - January 17th, 2024
- What if every germ hit you at the exact same time? - RTE.ie - January 17th, 2024
- Evolutionary conservation of CD4 and LAG-3 and their cytoplasmic tail motifs with opposing immune functions - Medical Xpress - January 17th, 2024
- Probiotics and yogurt vs. depression ... and the winner is? - The Union Leader - December 30th, 2023
- Which Vitamins Boost The Immune System? - MSN - December 30th, 2023
- Opinion | We Need a Global Immune System to Stop Future Public Health Crises - The New York Times - December 30th, 2023
- Understanding the Immune System and How to Support It | Health News - Medriva - December 30th, 2023
- Seven of the biggest medical breakthroughs in 2023 | South Central Illinois' News, Sports and Weather Station - WJBD News - Salem, Illinois - December 30th, 2023
- Understanding the Dynamics of Innate Immune System in SARS-CoV-2 Infection and Its Potential for Treatment - Medriva - December 30th, 2023
- Resolvins: Firefighters In The Battle Against Chronic Inflammation - Forbes - December 30th, 2023
- Does Taking Vitamin D Supplements Reduce Severity Of COVID-19? - MSN - December 30th, 2023
- Study Reveals Variations in CNS-Associated Macrophages: Implications for Aging and Disease - Medriva - December 30th, 2023
- What are the benefits of zinc and when should you take supplements? - HOLA! USA - December 30th, 2023
- Elle's immune system is so severely compromised she has to live in a bubble with her 'bubble mummy' - ABC News - December 22nd, 2023