People with severe or long-lasting COVID-19 illness have more antibodies, says study

The study published in The Journal of Infectious Diseases says that severe COVID-19 patients have more of the antibodies that are crucial to fighting reinfection in the future. Part of a Rutgers Corona Cohort study, the research was conducted on 831 people - 548 healthcare workers and 283 people who are not healthcare workers.

The study continued to monitor the subjects since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic aiming to get a better understanding of the antibody response, symptoms and risk factors for infection.

As per the researchers, 11 percent of the participants i.e., 93 people tested COVID-19 positive within six months of the study’s duration.

Of these 24 people had severe infections while 14 had asymptomatic COVID-19 bouts. One-third participants had monthlong symptoms. For 10 percent, the COVID-19 symptoms remained for at least four months.

As per the data from the study, most participants achieved sustained antibodies for six months. But it noted that the antibody levels were varied.

While 96 percent of the severe cases and 89 percent of mild to moderated cases showed antibodies, only 79 percent of the asymptomatic people showed the requisite antibody production.

Daniel B Horton, Assistant professor of pediatrics and epidemiology at Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School and a co-lead author of the study stated, “Notably, having persistent symptoms was also associated with having higher antibody levels over time.”