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Summary
- Most number of people with prior Covid-19 infection are likely to develop protection against reinfection, says study
- The study is further examining the extent and range of protection
- Tens of thousands of health workers from the NHS, volunteering and interacting at the frontline have been examined in the study
People across the nation are battling with the doldrums surrounding the newly-mutated virus strain that has been proven to be more contagious as against the earlier one. Now, a new study has revealed that individuals who have been infected with coronavirus previously are likely to develop immunity against the virus for a period of several months. However, those people with the so-called protection against the virus can still carry it in their nose and throat possessing a likelihood of transmission.
According to SIREN (SARS-CoV-2 Immunity & REinfection EvaluatioN) study conducted by Public Health England (PHE) over tens of thousands of health care workers across the United Kingdom, the coronavirus infected people are expected to develop a resistance against the disease for a period of up to five months.
The naturally-acquired immunity against the Covid-19 (SARS-CoV-2) virus due to former infections provides 83 per cent protection against a reinfection, but the self-immune individuals can be the potential carriers of the virus with a risk of transmitting it to others, the PHE scientists working on the study said. The apparent protection of more than 80 per cent is in comparison to the people who have not been infected by the virus.
(Image source: ©Kalkine Group 2020)
The PHE scientists have studied health workers from the NHS, volunteering and interacting at the frontline, with an intention to adjudge the extent and duration of protection developed by naturally-acquired immunity due to coronavirus. Testing of healthcare workers in the UK is an ongoing process since June 2020 in order to identify the presence of antibodies and the number of new infections.
With the findings of study, the people who contracted coronavirus in the initial wave of the disease are seemingly not immune towards the virus now. However, the SIREN study is likely to assess the duration of the protection whether it can last longer than estimated as of now. The PHE scientists have detected 44 potential reinfections with 42 “possible” and two “probable” reinfections out of the participant size of 6,614 individuals.
Considering 44 confirmed reinfections, the PHE scientists have concluded a protection rate of 83 per cent from reinfection, while the rate may improve 99 per cent if only two “probable” reinfections were confirmed. Detailed investigation is underway to determine the range and extent of protection.
The SIREN study has provided the clearest picture to date revealing the nature of antibody protections against the SARS-CoV-2 virus, said Professor Susan Hopkins, Senior Medical Advisor at Public Health England and the SIREN study lead.
Regular antibody and PCR testing on 20,787 healthcare workers has been performed under the PHE’s SIREN (SARS-CoV-2 Immunity and Reinfection EvaluatioN) study. The testing size of nearly 21,000 healthcare workers include people deployed in non-clinical roles, as well as the frontline clinical staff from 102 NHS trusts since the onset of study in June. Of the 20,787 workers, 6,614 personnel have tested positive for Covid-19 antibodies upon the recruitment.
