A new study by the doctors at AIIMS-Patna revealed that around 25 per cent of the Covid-19 patients who have recovered have weak or no antibodies against SARS-CoV-2, Times of India reported.
This claim comes as researchers around the world are trying to find whether the reinfection that could lead to a second wave of the virus is possible or not.
Antibodies are molecules that are produced by the immune system to fight infection.
The TOI report added that doctors found that 80-100 (out of 400 cured patients) people who had suffered from the virus did not have the antibodies against the SARS-CoV-2 or, even if they had it, the antibodies did not meet the required level for Covid treatment.
Doctors carried out the test by random sampling of around 400 people who came forward to donate convalescent plasma. They were then tested for specific antibodies using the IgG Elisa Test.
Sanjay Kumar, nodal officer for Covid-19 at AIIMS-Patna, told TOI: “Of the 400 cured patients, around 80-100 did not show the presence of specific antibodies against the virus or it was less than 1.12 AU (arbitrary unit)/ ml.”
He further said the level of IgG was low in those who demonstrated mild symptoms of the virus or asymptomatic cured patients. However, recovered patients with more critical, severe, and moderate symptoms reported higher levels of IgG.
“Several studies conducted by scientists and researchers also revealed the same in their research,” added Kumar.
The cured asymptomatic and mild symptoms patients need to be careful because of chances of reinfection, he said.
However, the presence of antibodies against the coronavirus still remains a controversial topic. Earlier this week, the Associated Press had carried a report on immune responses.
The report suggested that antibodies can ward off the novel coronavirus for at least four months after the diagnosis in all patients of the coronavirus, quashing the other reports that claimed antibodies fade quickly after the recovery, Associated Press reported.