Coronavirus: Antibodies may not stop the transmission of viruses, the study finds

Coronavirus: Antibodies may not stop the transmission of viruses, the study finds

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People who were previously infected with coronavirus and who are themselves protected by antibodies can still carry the virus and infect others, according to a study done in England.

The study, called “SARS-COV-2 Immunity and Reinfection Evaluation” (SIREN) and conducted between June 18 and November 24, also found that although reinfection is possible, it is rare, at least for the first five months after becoming ill. .

The study was first published late last week. It was written about in the peer-reviewed magazine The BMJ and the science journal Earth, among other publications.

Of the study participants who had already become ill (approximately 6,600), only 44 (less than 1%) were re-infected with the virus. In other words, immune response from a first infection reduced the risk of recurrence of the virus by 83%.

Of the approximately 14,000 people who were not yet infected in the study, 318 tested positive for the virus (2.3%).

The researchers do not know how long the protection lasts outside the time frame of the study.

Moreover, those who were re-infected usually did not suffer from serious illnesses. Only about 30% of people with possible reinfection reported any symptoms, compared to 78% of those who contracted the virus for the first time.

But, as noted, sometimes those who recovered and then became infected again had high virus load, meaning that there was still a high chance that they would transmit the virus to others.

Last week, during a ceremony to vaccinate Israel’s two millionth citizen, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he had held several talks with the Minister of Health and other professionals to enforce the green passport plan as soon as possible, which we in enable to begin to make life normal again. But he said: “even when we do, we will have to keep wearing masks for the younger population and those who are not vaccinated.”

The study was not intended to provide insight into the effects of the vaccine. The researchers also noted that the aim was not to determine whether the symptoms were better or worse during the second infection, and this question requires further evaluation.

The subjects were mostly young and middle-aged women who had less severe symptoms anyway than the elderly.

Finally, the study was mostly done before the British mutation, which could change the dynamics of the results. Some suggested that the existence of mutations would lower the effectiveness of the immune response, but more research would be needed.

This is not the first study published on reinfection. A separate study published in November, also in England, found that people with the virus were unlikely to get it again at least six months after the first infection.

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