A research study recently published in JAMA internal medicine discovered that patients that tested positive for Covid-19 antibodies were less likely to get infected by the virus again in the future.
The author of the study, Dr. Douglas Lowy, said that although the study might be overestimating the effects of the COVID-19 antibodies, the study is proof that antibodies from previous infections help the body fight against future infections.
The presence of COVID-19 antibodies does not mean people should not get the vaccine
Lowry said the study should not prevent people that have been previously infected from getting the vaccine, especially as researchers are still unsure about the extent of the protection of the antibodies in the human system.
More than 3.2 million peke in the United States partook in the study. The researchers monitored people who had received an antibody test in the first six months of 2020. During the study, it was discovered that only 0.3% of the people that had tested positive for antibodies got infected a second time.
It was also discovered that 3% of the study's participants that had negative antibody results later got infected with the coronavirus. This led the researchers to believe that there is a strong correlation between COVID-19 antibodies and the possibility of a second infection.
More research is needed to determine the effect of COVID-19 antibodies
It is still unclear how long the COVID-19 antibodies last, or if they are effective against the new virus variants. Lowry, while encouraging people to get the vaccine, said it's "still unclear for how long antibody protection will last because of natural infection."
Dr. Mitchell Katz also supports his claims. He wrote in the same medical journal that inoculation against COVID-19 should be carried out regardless of the person's antibody report, especially as it would take time to determine the length and efficacy of the body's natural antibody response.
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