The debate over COVID immunity continues to be a roller-coaster ride through what is still a mystery. However, when both New York Times and Fox News lead with the same story, and they report mild COVID-19 could leave long protection, this definitely deserve a place in our blog.
We Should Have Been Looking at Bone Marrow Samples
Researchers at Washington School of Medicine in St Louis announced their good news as they put it on May 24, 2021. First they took bone marrow samples from 8 participants who had mild COVID 7 to 8 months before.
Five of these volunteers donated second samples 4 months later. And then the researchers compared these with samples from 11 people who never had the disease before. Their main findings were as follows:
1… Antibody levels in the blood of people who had previous infections dropped quickly in the first few months before mostly leveling off.
2… However, they also found COVID antibody-producing cells in 15 of the bone marrow samples, including all 5 in the second batch.
The researchers explained the cells were ‘quiescent, just sitting in the bone marrow and secreting antibodies’.
How Mild COVID-19 Leaves Long Lasting Protection
Senior report author Ali Ellebedy, PhD, is an associate professor of pathology and immunology, of medicine and of molecular microbiology. ‘People with mild cases of COVID-19 clear the virus from their bodies two to three weeks after infection,’ he explained.
‘Therefore, there would be no virus driving an active immune response 7 or 11 months after infection. These cells are not dividing. They are quiescent, just sitting in the bone marrow and secreting antibodies. They have been doing that ever since the infection resolved, and they will continue doing that indefinitely.’
Even people without symptoms may have this long protection from mild COVID-19, but this needs to be investigated. New York Times speculates the finding suggests recovered patients may not need a second, booster jab. However, people who never had the infection would still need both shots as before.
Related
Durable Immunity Against Secondary COVID
Is Long Term Immunity to COVID-19 Possible
Preview Image: Anatomy of a Bone
