Skip to content
Subscriber Only
Business
Prognosis

Covid Antibodies Fade Rapidly, Raising Risk of Lost Immunity

  • Report cites concern immunity won’t last long after mild cases
  • Blood studied from 34 patients with few virus symptoms
Bloomberg business news
Watch: Recovering from Covid-19 may not offer much lasting protection from future infections for those with only mild cases. (Source: Bloomberg)
Updated on

Recovering from Covid-19 may not offer much lasting protection from future infections for those with only mild cases, according to a report that suggests caution regarding so-called herd immunity as well as the durability of vaccines.

The correspondence in the New England Journal of Medicine outlined research on antibodies taken from the blood of 34 patients who had recovered after suffering mainly mild symptoms that didn’t require intensive care. Just two needed supplemental oxygen and received an HIV medication, and none were on a ventilator or getting Gilead Sciences Inc.’s remdesivir.