[ad_1]
A study from the University of Oxford found that people who contracted Covid-19 had antibodies for at least six months, meaning that the risk of reinfection within that time is extremely unlikely.
The article, published Thursday, has not yet been peer reviewed, but has been posted on the MedRxiv website.
As part of a collaboration between the University of Oxford and the NHS Foundation Trust at the University of Oxford (OUH), this is the first large-scale study to investigate re-infection with Covid-19.
He monitored more than 12,000 healthcare workers employed at OUH and found that the risk of infection was significantly reduced among staff who had previously contracted Covid-19.
Of the 11,052 employees without Covid-19 antibodies, 89 developed an infection with symptoms within the 30-week period. During this time, none of the 1,246 staff with antibodies developed symptomatic infections.
Also on rt.com
Pfizer and BioNTech File U.S. Emergency Approval Request for Covid-19 Vaccine with FDA
The study also found that staff with antibodies were less likely to have an asymptomatic infection.
Only three staff members with antibodies tested positive for Covid-19 without symptoms. During the same period, 76 staff without antibodies tested positive but did not show any symptoms.
Lead investigators and study authors Katie Jeffery and David Eyre said the findings raised cautious optimism, and researchers will continue to monitor staff to see how long the protection lasts.
Eyre, a professor at Oxford’s Nuffield Department of Population Health, said the study had “Has been shown that being infected with Covid-19 offers protection against reinfection for most people for at least six months.”
Jeffery, director of infection prevention and control for Oxford University Hospitals, described the results as a “Exciting discovery” which reads “at least short-term protection against reinfection”.
The prospect that the human body retains some ability to avoid future Covid re-infections has already been raised.
Earlier in November, a small study by the University of Birmingham found that while antibody levels in patients fell in the months after their infection, the response of T cells – an important part of the immune system – remained robust.
Do you like this story? Share it with a friend!
[ad_2]
Source link