SARS-CoV-2 antibodies may provide immunity for at least 5?7 months

A study has found that people who have contracted SARS-CoV-2 remain immune to the virus for at least 5–7 months and probably much longer.Recent alleged cases of reinfection with SARS-CoV-2, the coronavirus that causes COVID-19, have raised concerns that the human immune system may only provide short-term protection against the virus.In addition, scarce research has suggested that the number of antibodies in a person’s bloodstream that is capable of disabling the virus declines sharply after an initial infection.However, scientists at the University of Arizona (UArizona) College of Medicine in Tucson have now found evidence of long lasting immunity in people who have had COVID-19.Stay informed with live updates on the current COVID-19 outbreak and visit our coronavirus hub for more advice on prevention and treatment.They tested for the presence of antibodies to the virus in nearly 6,000 individuals and then followed them up for several months.“We clearly see high quality antibodies still being produced 5–7 months after SARS-CoV-2 infection,” says Dr. Deepta Bhattacharya, an associate professor of immunobiology at the university, who co-led the research. This virus is very similar to SARS-CoV-2.“If SARS-CoV-2 is anything like the first one, we expect antibodies to last at least 2 years, and it would be unlikely for anything much shorter,” he says.In their paper, published in the journal Immunity, the scientists also note that out of nearly 30 million cases of COVID-19 since December 2019, there have been only about 10 confirmed cases of reinfection.The researchers began recruiting volunteers for testing in Pima County, AZ, on April 20, 2020.The main objective of the research was to develop an accurate antibody blood test that could identify individuals who have contracted the virus.