
Immunity to Covid-19 could be lost in months, UK study suggests - bookofjoe
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/jul/12/immunity-to-covid-19-could-be-lost-in-months-uk-study-suggests
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bookofjoe
>Longitudinal evaluation and decline of antibody responses in SARS-CoV-2
infection

[https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.07.09.20148429v...](https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.07.09.20148429v1)

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lbeltrame
"Antibody responses".

Not discussed:

\- Immunological memory (or lack thereof): we don't have antibodies in our
bloodstream for all the vaccinations we did - they're triggered by infections

\- T cell responses (which seem to play a part in some mild cases, although
the Swedish study discussing this was criticized)

In fact, from the discussion in the paper, it is mentioned:

> However, the role T-cell responses generated through either infection or
> vaccination play in controlling disease cannot be discounted in these
> studies [vaccination studies quoted before] and defining further the
> correlates and longevity of vaccine protection is needed.

The only thing one can do is to _wait_ , at this point, and see whether there
are reinfections (and by reinfections it does _not_ mean a PCR-positive test:
it would require testing for infectious virus in cell cultures).

Actually, the study makes more interesting points than this one, including
using classes of antibodies as markers of acute infection. Too bad the press
seems interested in something else (without realizing that the appeals at the
"miracle vaccine" will not work if immunity is not long-lasting).

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bookofjoe
Excellent analysis.

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raxxorrax
Would that mean a vaccine is impossible?

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bookofjoe
This retired neurosurgical anesthesiologist's immediate, off-the-top-of-my-
head response is that you're spot-on in zeroing in on this. If lost immunity
over months proves to be the case, vaccination would require constant boosters
— say, every 2-3 months. If by injection, a non-starter. Orally, like the
Sabin polio vaccine, that's another story. All the many current vaccination
trials require IM injections. See, for example:
[https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-020-01092-3](https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-020-01092-3)

~~~
lbeltrame
Some preclinical work is ongoing for per-os administration of vaccines against
SARS-CoV-2, which would make things much better.

