Asymptomatic people with coronavirus are more likely to lose their antibodies quickly than those with symptoms, a new study suggests.
The British study, led by Imperial College London and Ipsos Mori, followed over 365,000 people who, between 20 June and 28 September, regularly tested themselves for Covid-19 antibodies. The study found that the number of people testing positive dropped by more than 25% in that time.
People aged over 75 saw the largest decline, as did those with aysmptomatic infections, according to the study, “indicating that the antibody response varies by age and with the severity of illness.”
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"The decline was largest in people who didn’t report a history of Covid-19, dropping by almost two-thirds (64.0%) between rounds one and three, compared to a decrease of 22.3% in people who had an infection confirmed by lab testing," the study found.
However, “it remains unclear what level of immunity antibodies provide, or for how long this immunity lasts,” pointed out Professor Paul Elliott, director of the programme at Imperial.
Jason Spinks
The Brussels Times
