UK study: antibodies last 6 months after infection

A UK biomedical research body said on Wednesday that COVID-19 antibodies stay in system for six months after infection, according to a new study.

UK Biobank studied blood of over 20,000 participants who h recovered from coronavrius, and found that 99% retained antibodies to virus for three months post-infection and 88% did so for six months.

Speaking to UK brocaster ITN, UK Biobank's chief scientist Professor Naomi Allen called results of study good news.

Allen said she suspects transmission of virus among those who have antibodies following a natural infection would likely be reduced - as preliminary findings of AstraZeneca vaccine study have indicated.

However, she ded, " honest answer is we don't really kw that for sure."

study showed that younger people - 13.5% among those under 30 - h most detectable antibodies than older people - 6.7% among those over 70.

most common symptom associated with having coronavirus antibodies was a loss of sense of taste and smell, which was reported by 43% of sero-positive participants.

Around one quarter (24%) of sero-positive participants were completely asymptomatic, and 40% did t have one of three classic COVID-19 symptoms - fever, persistent dry cough or loss of sense of taste or smell.

UK currently has 3,882,972 reported cases of coronavirus and 109,547 COVID-related deaths.

(Im Credit: AP)