New Delhi: The first confirmed case of coronavirus reinfection was reported recently, which threw people off, and sabotaged their hopes of an effective vaccine finally bringing an end to the pandemic, in the near future. Reports of the coronavirus mutating, and the strand becoming more virulent and contagious also scared people all around the world, and also worried the experts who are a part of the vaccine development. However, a new study from Iceland has finally brought in some good news and a ray of hope.

According to the study published in the New England Journal of Medicine, when researchers looked at serum samples from more than 30,000 individuals, using six different types of antibody testing methods, they found that out of 1,797 people who had recovered from the coronavirus, more than 91 per cent produced detectable antibodies against the virus. The levels of antibodies in these patients had also not declined even four months after the diagnosis. The immune response was found to be higher in older individuals, those who are in the high-risk category for complications due to coronavirus, and also among people who had the worst symptoms of the disease. 

Why are COVID-19 reinfections worrisome

Some cases of reinfection from SARS-CoV-2 were reported in Hong Kong, USA, and Italy. Why reinfection with the novel coronavirus sparked a wave of fear all around the world is because many governments and communities have placed their hopes on ‘herd immunity’ as one of the ways of tackling the pandemic. Reinfection cases mean that the antibodies produced by the body against the virus may not last long enough, and therefore, allowed the virus to enter the body and cause the disease again. Since vaccines also work on a similar principle and technique, the efficacy of any vaccine is also under the scanner when cases of reinfection are reported. 

While the study at hand gives positive news, it is important to understand that it was conducted in a population where only 1 per cent of the total population has contracted SARS-CoV-2. For the study to hold true on larger sample size, experts say more than 70 per cent of the global population will need to have antibodies against the virus to stop its spread, a Bloomberg report said.