Coronavirus Immunity Fades Within Weeks, Confirms New British Study

Herd immunity may not be possible, suggests the findings of a new study conducted by a team of researchers in the U.K.

The study, conducted at the renowned King's College London, shows that coronavirus immunity may fade within weeks of being exposed to the novel virus. The scientists found that the antibodies against novel coronavirus peaked three weeks after the symptoms appeared and then gradually declined afterward.

Therefore, the scientists now strongly suspect that immunity may completely disappear from the patients once infected with coronavirus within a few months.

During the large study, the team noticed that the antibodies completely disappeared within three months in some patients. This indicates that coronavirus immunity could just be a myth and people may indeed require a booster to elicit an immune response and protect them against COVID-19.

One of the authors of the study says that the findings have “puts another nail in the coffin of the dangerous concept of herd immunity.”

The study findings are based on the results of a large study involving 90 patients and health workers at Guy's and St. Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust. An assessment of the antibody levels showed that 60 percent of the subjects had potent antibodies to fight the coronavirus attack. However, the number of potent antibodies was found in just 17% of subjects within three months of the study.

The researchers also discovered that people with a severe form of COVID-19 tend to have potent antibodies against novel coronavirus that lasted longer than three months.

The team also cleared the air concerning re-infection. They did observe that like the common cold, coronavirus infection can still re-infect people even if developed antibodies against it during the first exposure.

The study findings have not been peer-reviewed yet.

The study seems to have debunked the myth that achieving herd immunity can help stop the spread of the virus. The concept of herd immunity suggests that if 60% of the population catches coronavirus, the population becomes immune to it.

“ One thing we know about these coronaviruses is that people can get reinfected fairly often,” said Prof Stuart Neil, a co-author of the study. “What that must mean is that the protective immunity people generate doesn’t last very long. It looks like Sars-Cov-2, the virus that causes Covid-19, might be falling into that pattern as well.”