godisney14
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Aug 3, 2019
Just FYI for everyone.
A serological test, like an ELISA, to detect antibody titers is time and illness severity dependent. We don’t know this virus-specific T-cell response in COVID-19 patients. So, it’s impossible to say with 100% certainty whether having had the illness makes one immune. We haven’t gone through another SARS-COV-2 season yet to see whether reinfection is possible. Though based on general knowledge of viruses and past studies of MERS, we have some idea. But, again, caution to compare MERS and SARS-COV-19 since they’re not exactly the same virus.
What some of the MERS studies show is that active antibody titer was still detected at 2 to 5 years for patients who had severe pneumonia (likely ventilated and recovered). For mild pneumonia patients, there was none detectable at the 2 year mark. And for mild symptom or asymptotic patients, there was none detected after 12 months. This showed that it’s theoretically possible for a reinfection, but also could be not. Hard to be absolute since a longitudinal study (observing the same study individuals over a lengthy duration of time) is difficult for various reasons and costly. So, no definitive conclusion.
Serologic testing within 3 months is more accurate.
This is why that New York study on blood (plasma) donation from severe case patients is of interest.
A serological test, like an ELISA, to detect antibody titers is time and illness severity dependent. We don’t know this virus-specific T-cell response in COVID-19 patients. So, it’s impossible to say with 100% certainty whether having had the illness makes one immune. We haven’t gone through another SARS-COV-2 season yet to see whether reinfection is possible. Though based on general knowledge of viruses and past studies of MERS, we have some idea. But, again, caution to compare MERS and SARS-COV-19 since they’re not exactly the same virus.
What some of the MERS studies show is that active antibody titer was still detected at 2 to 5 years for patients who had severe pneumonia (likely ventilated and recovered). For mild pneumonia patients, there was none detectable at the 2 year mark. And for mild symptom or asymptotic patients, there was none detected after 12 months. This showed that it’s theoretically possible for a reinfection, but also could be not. Hard to be absolute since a longitudinal study (observing the same study individuals over a lengthy duration of time) is difficult for various reasons and costly. So, no definitive conclusion.
Serologic testing within 3 months is more accurate.
This is why that New York study on blood (plasma) donation from severe case patients is of interest.
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