A study from King's College London worryingly suggests that the protective antibody response in people who have recovered from a Covid-19 infection can be very short-lived (https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/jul/12/immunity-to-covid-19-could-be-lost-in-months-uk-study-suggests). Although in the weeks after contracting the disease, 60% of patients showed a marked immunological response to the virus, only 17% of them had comparable antibody levels 3 months later.This suggests that people can be rapidly reinfected shortly after 'recovery' (as is the case in influenza). We still have much to learn about this novel coronovirus but our body's response to the virus seems rather variable (what happens in the 40% who show a weak antibody response?). It would also be interesting to see whether T-cells are still active (and capable of quick responses to the virus) in people with low antibody titres. The results also casts doubt on whether a vaccine (if developed) will bring about the hoped for 'herd immunity' in populations treated with it.
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