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New UK study says that the vaccine for coronavirus cannot give immunity that can last too long.

As number of coronavirus cases is rising across the world, researchers continue to develop vaccines to fight the pandemic. At least 5 other vaccines are ready for human clinical trials bringing in hope to people across the world. However, a study from UK based researchers has brought a new revelation. It has found that immunity through COVID-19 vaccine is only temporary.

Scientists based out of King’s college of London have found out that people who have recovered from coronavirus shall begin to lose antibodies just three months after the infection attacks. They say that the reason for this could be that the immunity against COVID-19 may be short lived and coronavirus might continue to affect the population just like common cold season after season.

The scientists from UK have analyzed samples of 90 health care workers and observed that the level of antibodies were at the peak during the first three weeks after infection and then began to vanish.

Moreover, as per the survey recording, about 60% patients developed good amount of antibodies when infection was at its peak but only 17% of them continued to have same level of antibodies till 3 months.

It also observed that depending upon the person’s health, the level of antibodies can fall 23 folds and almost become undetectable after sometime.

This study was conducted by the scientists to observe the immunity driven by a coronavirus vaccine.

Higher the level of infection, lower the time for which antibodies stay in the body, according to the research.

Antibodies are the human body’s natural way of fighting against the infection. The study found out that if antibodies continue to diminish, COVID-19 could keep re-infecting people and no vaccine could really help in providing long term immunity to the patient.

A similar study by the UK researchers was done a month ago, which also said that COVID-19 could keep resurfacing season after season and there is a high chance that it would not go away.

This study comes a month after the observations from Oxford University’s Astra Zeneca’s vaccine trials, which suggested that the vaccine could provide immunity up to at least one year.

The study also indicated that the world might need a strong vaccine to fight re-infections and mutations as one shot of vaccine would not suffice.

If the infection gives the patient antibodies that last for 2 or 3 months, the vaccine would also do the same. Experts also worry that excessive usage of Remdesivir would do more harm than good to people.

By Gayatri Yellayi