Immune cells are fighting off COVID-19 six months after infection, new study finds

A new study has found that immunity cells are fighting off COVID-19 within six months after the first infection.

• The research comes from the U.K. Coronavirus Immunology Consortium (UK-CIC), Public Health England and Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust.

The researchers said they have seen “robust T-cell responses” in coronavirus patients about six months after infection, which is a sign that the immunity lasts for at least half a year.

• T-cells attack infected cells and help create more antibodies in the immune system, CNBC reports.
• Scientists have been reviewing the T-cell response to the coronavirus to see how long immunity might last for COVID-19 patients, according to CNBC.

A look at the study:

The study reviewed 100 patients who tested positive for COVID-19 in March and April of 2020. These patients, though, were not hospitalized.

• All patients experienced mild or moderate symptoms, or were asymptomatic.

The researchers reviewed blood samples and serum samples to see how long the cells might have lasted.

• “T-cell responses were present in all individuals at six months after SARS-CoV-2 infection,” the study said.
• Researchers concluded “that a robust cellular memory against the virus persists for at least six months.”

Flashback:

In September, a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine found humans create a new round of antibodies a month or two after infection. The antibodies will last for four months and then fade shortly after, as I wrote for the Deseret News.

Source: Deseret News