A new study from England suggests that immunity to COVID-19 disappears over time, meaning you can always get infected again.
Even if you get a COVID-19 vaccine, you still have to protect yourself. A new study suggests that COVID-19 immunity wears off over time. However, the study looked at just one measure.
COVID-19 Immunity
CNN reports that the study involved hundreds of thousands of people in England. For the research, the team sent out home finger-prick tests to 365,000 people in England. The researchers chose subjects randomly. After gathering the test results, the team found a decline of over 26% in COVID-19 antibodies after three months.
The team said that these results reaffirm previous evidence. Earlier studies have shown that COVID-19 antibodies decrease over time. The body makes antibodies to fight infections.
Study Results
Initially, the study reported that 6% of the people who took the home tests had COVID-19 antibodies. However, by September, the number dropped to 4%. The rates were the same for healthcare workers.
Young people who recovered from COVID-19 experienced a slower antibody loss. People over 75 years old lost antibodies faster.
However, experts still don’t know if antibodies grant total immunity against COVID-19. They also don’t know how long you stay immune after getting sick again.
What the Study Means
Despite the results, the study is still encouraging. The results show that COVID-19 acts like other colds. Antibodies to colds disappear over time, too. So, if you get a cold once, you can always get it again.
The results show that experts can predict COVID-19. People can also take better care of themselves after knowing these results. After all, just because you survived COVID-19 once doesn’t mean you can’t get it again.
