Virus immunity could disappear within months, researchers say

Experts now say that Covid-19 patients who had recovered may be susceptible to reinfection with just months. This would force governments to rethink their strategy in fighting the virus, according to CTV News.

Researchers at King's College London studied the antibodies in more than 90 patients who had contracted the virus and how it changed over time.

Though a majority of those included in the study showed a substantial level of viral response after the first few weeks, several patients had no detectable antibodies present after three months.

"This is an important study that starts to define the longer-term dynamics of the antibody response to SARS-CoV-2," Lawrence Young, professor of Molecular Oncology at the University of Warwick, said.

"It further emphasizes the need for us to better understand what a protective immune response looks like if we are to develop an effective vaccine."

James Gill, a lecturer at Warwick Medical School, urged everyone to do what they could to mitigate the spread of the virus.

"In the same way that these patients were surprised to have antibodies to COVID19, we should NOT be surprised if any protective benefit is mild, or at least transient," he said.

"If you played the lottery and won £10, you wouldn't immediately think that you had acquired increased natural luck, and used your life savings to buy further lottery tickets."

"Even those with a positive antibody test—especially those who cannot account for where they may have been exposed—should continue to use caution, social distancing and appropriate mask use."