Asymptomatic COVID Patients Lose Antibodies More Rapidly, a New Study

As reported by one of the biggest studies in Britain, asymptomatic COVID patients seem to lose detectable antibodies faster than people who have exhibited Coronavirus symptoms. The research was published on the official website of the Imperial College, London.

The study by Imperial College London and market research firm Ipsos Mori confirmed the loss of antibodies becomes slower in 18-24-year-olds compared to the people whose age is 75 or above.

Asymptomatic COVID Patients Seem to Lose Antibodies Sooner

The study tested from hundreds to thousands of people across England from mid-June to late September that proved the dominance of virus antibodies decreased by more than a quarter. This British government-funded research released peer-review on Tuesday by Imperial that says, people’s immune response to SARS-CoV-2 decreases over time following infection.

James Bethell, a junior health minister, described it as “a critical piece of research, helping us to understand the nature of COVID-19 antibodies over time.”

Scientists who were involved in the study were concerned that some valuable information remains unknown about people’s long-term antibody response to the COVID-19. Paul Elliott, of Imperial’s School of Public Health, says, “It remains unclear what level of immunity antibodies provide, or for how long this immunity lasts.”

The research tested 365,000 randomly-chosen adults living at home and also took three rounds of finger-prick tests for COVID-19 antibodies from June 20 to September 28. The results revealed that the number of people with antibodies dropped by 26.5 % over the three months.

According to the study, at a nationwide level, the Britain population with antibodies dropped from 6.0 percent to 4.4 percent.

The falling rose dramatically across England when the country eased the shut down over the summer.

On the contrary, the study also discovered many health care workers testing positive for antibodies that did not change over time. It shows repeated, or higher initial, exposure to the Coronavirus virus. What Helen Ward, one of the lead authors said “This very large study has shown that the proportion of people with detectable antibodies is falling over time.”

“We don’t yet know whether this will leave these people at risk of reinfection with the virus that causes COVID-19, but it is essential that everyone continues to follow guidance to reduce the risk to themselves and others.”