As it is known, protection against Coronavirus infection depends on the presence of antibodies against the virus. However, it is not well known whether the defensive response lasts more than 6 months in people who have had COVID-19. A study on the durability of antibodies in unvaccinated people who had had COVID has been published in JAMA magazine.
The study included 816 people divided into three groups:
- 295 people who had suffered from COVID-19 (confirmed by an analytical test).
- 275 people who believed they had COVID-19 (no tests had been performed).
- 246 who believed they had not had COVID-19 (never tested positive for coronavirus).
It was found that 99% of the cases in group A (confirmed COVID-19) had antibodies against the virus with a mean of 8.7 months after diagnosis of the infection (range 0 to 20 months). In the group of people who believed they had COVID-19 but who were not confirmed with a test, 55% of them had antibodies against 11% of group C cases (people who said they had not had COVID -19).
In summary, this work shows that in people who have suffered from COVID-19, antibodies remain detectable for at least 20 months. This is encouraging data, although it would be important to know if these detected antibodies protect against the disease.
