Some COVID-19 patients who recover from the illness quickly may also develop a stronger and longer-lasting immune response to the virus, according to a study published in Cell.
Researchers at Boston-based Brigham and Women's Hospital analyzed monthly blood samples from 92 people in the Boston area who recovered from COVID-19 between March and June. Only five study participants needed to be hospitalized.
Researchers found antibody levels declined significantly in most study participants within three to four months, but antibody production remained stable or increased in about 20 percent of them. These "sustainers" experienced COVID-19 symptoms for a shorter duration compared to individuals who saw antibody levels fall. They also had differences in memory T-cell populations and B cells, which are two types of immune cells that play a role in immune memory and protection, according to the researchers.
"We've found a subset of individuals that heal quickly while sustaining virus-specific antibody levels after COVID-19," Duane Wesemann, MD, PhD, an immunologist and associate physician in the Brigham Division of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, said in a news release. "The kind of immune response we're seeing in these individuals is a bit like investing in an insurance policy — it’s the immune system's way of adding a potential layer of protection against future encounters with the virus."
To learn more about the study, click here.
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