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Chinese Studies Suggest Antibody Response To Coronavirus May Not Last Very Long
Hotair ^
| 06/26/2020
| John Sexton
Posted on 06/26/2020 7:17:13 PM PDT by SeekAndFind
Weve had a few of these stories in the headlines recently but I wanted to highlight two of them here. It appears that what we all hoped would be the case, i.e. that most people who get the virus will recover and thereafter retain a long term immunity to reinfection, is not going to work out. A Chinese study published in Nature last week suggests that antibodies to the virus may only last for a few months.
Antibodies protective proteins made in response to an infection may last only two to three months, especially in people who never showed symptoms while they were infected.
The conclusion does not necessarily mean that these people can be infected a second time, several experts cautioned. Even low levels of powerful neutralizing antibodies may still be protective, as are the immune systems T cells and B cells.
But the results offer a strong note of caution against the idea of immunity certificates for people who have recovered from the illness, the authors suggested
Antibodies to other coronaviruses, including those that cause SARS and MERS, are thought to last about a year. Scientists had hoped that antibodies to the new virus might last at least as long.
Today Fox News published a story in which a Columbia University infectious disease specialist reacts to the Chinese study:
When you get an antibody test, we dont really know enough to be able to assure you that youre safe. And I think the more were learning about antibodies, the more were beginning to say were not so sure that youre safe, Dr. Daniel Griffin, an infectious disease specialist at Columbia University Medical Center, told Fox News
Many of us were quite disturbed when we saw this study out of China, which actually demonstrated that in a number of individuals, particularly these individuals with more mild disease, that were worried are the silent spreaders, that these individuals were losing their antibodies shield after just a month or two, Griffin said.
As the Times story suggested, even low levels of certain antibodies may be protective, but a second study published by Nature specifically stated that plasma collected from most people recovering from the virus did not have enough of those antibodies to be strongly protected: most convalescent plasmas obtained from individuals who recover from COVID-19 do not contain high levels of neutralizing activity. The abstract continued, Nevertheless, rare but recurring RBD-specific antibodies with potent antiviral activity were found in all individuals tested, suggesting that a vaccine designed to elicit such antibodies could be broadly effective.
Theres a good video explaining this second study here. The bottom line is that as many as a third of people recovering from the virus didnt seem to have enough antibodies to make them immune from subsequent infection. But it appears that the sicker people were, the more antibodies they had. So seriously ill patients may have much more resistance than those who had minimal symptoms. Also, the researchers identified a few specific antibody proteins that were highly effective at blocking the virus. This suggests it should be possible to design a vaccine that specifically generates these highly effective antibodies and thus give people greater immunity.
So its not all bad news but in combination these two studies seem to suggest that people whove had mild cases of the coronavirus may not have much protection or may not have it for long. Its one more bit of evidence suggesting this really isnt going to be over anytime soon unless we can come up with an effective vaccine.
TOPICS: Health/Medicine; Science; Society
KEYWORDS: antibodies; coronavirus
To: SeekAndFind
Obvious one-liner here. I’ll refrain.
2
posted on
06/26/2020 7:18:21 PM PDT
by
Steely Tom
([Seth Rich] == [the Democrats' John Dean])
To: SeekAndFind
Stopped reading after the words Chinese Study.
3
posted on
06/26/2020 7:20:12 PM PDT
by
datura
To: SeekAndFind
Wow. Those Chinese know how to produce a super virus.
4
posted on
06/26/2020 7:20:50 PM PDT
by
willk
(A bias news media is not a free press.)
To: SeekAndFind
Sounds like it’s a fast mutating virus and like a cat 5 hurricane making landfall, it’s losing steam. In the end it will become a tropical rainshower - an ordinary flu.
5
posted on
06/26/2020 7:20:58 PM PDT
by
libh8er
To: SeekAndFind
6
posted on
06/26/2020 7:24:10 PM PDT
by
JCL3
(As Richard Feynman might have said, this is reality taking precedence over public relations.)
To: SeekAndFind
Of course not. The lab designed it that way.
To: SeekAndFind
“Chinese studies” are as reliable as Chinese promises...
Admit though that people have to work with the info they can get.
8
posted on
06/26/2020 7:26:26 PM PDT
by
mrsmith
(Dumb sluts (M / F) : Lifeblood of the Media, Backbone of the Democrat/RINO Party!)
To: SeekAndFind
Many of us were quite disturbed when we saw this study out of China, which actually demonstrated that in a number of individuals, particularly these individuals with more mild disease, that were worried are the silent spreaders, that these individuals were losing their antibodies shield after just a month or two, Griffin said.
That is not unusual. I believe that would hold true for most illnesses where one usually becomes immune after contracting it. For example, I know people who had a mild case of chicken pox during childhood who got a more severe case in adulthood (not shingles)
9
posted on
06/26/2020 7:34:33 PM PDT
by
lastchance
(Credo.)
To: SeekAndFind
If true, vaccines will be worthless.
To: SeekAndFind
Everyone who had it will get it again in ... November!
11
posted on
06/26/2020 7:35:09 PM PDT
by
mom.mom
(...our flag was still there.)
To: SeekAndFind
If that is the case, then perhaps they might try to consider not stealing out vaccine research. I believe nothing that comes out if China. We need to put the CCP on the same terms as the old USSR. Decouple completely, restrict their travel here and throw their kids out of our STEM programs.
12
posted on
06/26/2020 7:45:02 PM PDT
by
chuckee
To: chuckee
“We need to put the CCP on the same terms as the old USSR. Decouple completely, restrict their travel here and throw their kids out of our STEM programs.”
Agreed.
To: beancounter13; SeekAndFind
14
posted on
06/26/2020 8:34:06 PM PDT
by
familyop
( "Welcome to Costco. I love you." - -Costco greeter in the movie, "Idiocracy".)
To: beancounter13; SeekAndFind
"Also, the researchers identified a few specific antibody proteins that were highly effective at blocking the virus. This suggests it should be possible to design a vaccine that specifically generates these highly effective antibodies and thus give people greater immunity."
15
posted on
06/26/2020 9:05:54 PM PDT
by
familyop
( "Welcome to Costco. I love you." - -Costco greeter in the movie, "Idiocracy".)
To: SeekAndFind
Since every other country has to deal with this disease now that the Chinese so graciously shared it, the Chinese can shove their studies. Western countries, where science originated should be able to figure out how to combat this virus.
16
posted on
06/26/2020 9:59:12 PM PDT
by
Crucial
To: beancounter13
Herd immunity wouldnt be achieved either. The only way to reduce deaths would be to eradicate vitamin D deficiency among the population. But this should be done anyway, whether or not a vaccine works, because it would help with many other diseases too.
To: familyop
Thats nice, but if the antibodies do not last more than a few months, then the vaccine is useless .... unless you advise everyone to receive a vaccine every three months for the rest of their lives.
Big Pharma would love that!
To: beancounter13
If true, vaccines will be worthless. Its amazing how the Gates/Fauci Axis has brainwashed the MSM into thinking a miracle vaccine is on the way - just hide in your homes until November and all will be well!
19
posted on
06/27/2020 7:18:21 AM PDT
by
Mr. Jeeves
([CTRL]-[GALT]-[DELETE])
To: beancounter13
Not necessarily. The lack of antibodies is in regard to persons who had very mild cases. And most vaccines do require booster shots.
20
posted on
06/27/2020 12:52:21 PM PDT
by
lastchance
(Credo.)
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