Antibodies formed in people infected with the novel coronavirus tend to decrease after 60 days from the onset of symptoms, according to a study by the National Center for Global Health and Medicine in Tokyo.
Antibodies protect the human body from pathogens. The duration of the effect of antibodies has been attracting much attention because of its potential impact on the development of vaccines and therapeutic drugs.
The center continuously measured the antibodies of 81 patients who were infected with the novel coronavirus. Of them, 46 had mild symptoms, 19 suffered moderate symptoms that required oxygen administration, and 16 had severe symptoms and were put on ventilators.
The results showed that, although severe-symptom patients' antibody levels tended to be higher than those of the patients with mild and moderate symptoms, even their antibody levels tended to decline after 60 days from symptom onset.
Research is now being carried out both in Japan and elsewhere on methods of treatment using antibodies contained in the blood of people who have recovered from COVID-19. Satoshi Kutsuna, chief of the Division of Preparedness and Emerging Infections, said, "We think the collection of antibodies from people who recovered from the disease should be done within about three months from symptom onset."
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