August 3, 2021 – As we continue to develop new research and make more discoveries about the COVID-19 virus, a new comprehensive study conducted by the Emory Vaccine Center shows that recovered COVID-19 patients may have longer-term immunity to the virus. The study covered 254 patients that experienced mild to moderate COVID-19 symptoms over eight months, finding that their immunity stayed strong during that period.
In a media release, Emory Vaccine Center Director Rafi Ahmed said, “The study serves as a framework to define and predict long-lived immunity to SARS-CoV-2 after natural infection. We also saw indications in this phase that natural immunity could continue to persist.”
This news comes after a recent study conducted by Cleveland Clinic, which suggested that those who had COVID-19 might only need one dose of a vaccine.
Increased immunity for disease severity
The study showed that the immunity response increased with the severity of symptoms that the patient exhibited, as well as the overall age of the patient. With a better look at how the immune system responds to COVID-19, research indicated that certain T and B cells were activated by the immune system to improve immune memory. This response will trigger a stronger immune response against future reinfection.
Ahmed said, “We saw that antibody responses, especially IgG antibodies, were not only durable in the vast majority of patients but decayed at a slower rate than previously estimated, which suggests that patients are generating longer-lived plasma cells that can neutralize the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein.”
Additionally, the findings of this study suggest protective immunity against some variants of COVID-19. Currently, hospitals are seeing a dramatic uptick in COVID-19 cases related to the delta variant. While this is potentially good news for those who have survived COVID-19, the immunity against the delta variant for COVID-19 survivors largely remains to be seen.
What this means for vaccines
Most notably, this study could be a great benchmark for immunity memory induced by COVID-19 vaccinations. With this research and more studies like it, researchers could build more effective vaccines against COVID-19 and future strains of coronavirus. Ahmed explained, “We can build on these results to define the progression to long-lived immunity against the new coronavirus, which can guide rational responses when future outbreaks occur.”
Coupled with the Cleveland Clinic study, this research is painting a bigger picture for how science can pave future courses of action against coronavirus outbreaks. “Vaccines that target other parts of the virus rather than just the spike protein may be more helpfully in containing infection as SARS CoV-2 variants overtake the prevailing strains. This could pave the way for us to design vaccines that address multiple coronaviruses.”
While an end to the pandemic might still be a long way off, research like this is enough to provide hope for the future.
To read more, visit: COVID-19 survivors may possess wide-ranging resistance to the disease | Emory University | Atlanta, GA