Catching the coronavirus provides at least eight months of immunity against reinfection, government scientists have said.
“Infection with SARS-CoV-2 results in antibody, B-cell and T-cell responses in almost all individuals, which persist for more than eight months after infection,” the group said on Friday. government NERVTAG.
the last big study of COVID immunity in the UK found only evidence of six months protection.
NERVTAG stated that people who contract COVID-19[female[feminine have an 81% chance of not being re-infected or developing symptoms of the virus again for at least seven months.
This is much less – only 47.1% protection – for those over 65 for the same period.
People infected with coronavirus have 69% protection against the virus for at least six months, but only 40% protection against the virus and being asymptomatic during that time, the scientists said.
All data is based on people who test positive from a PCR test.
It comes after other data from the Office for National Statistics earlier this week suggested that eight in 10 adults now have antibodies to the coronavirus, which means they have been infected or vaccinated.
But the amount of antibodies people have will depend on factors such as when they were infected, how many doses of the vaccine they received, and how long since their last vaccine.
Scientists at NERVTAG also said that new variants could lower immunity levels.
“Increased viral transmissibility, such as that reported for variant B.1.1.1 (Kent) … could shorten the duration of effective immunity,” their latest report states.
Separate data from Public Health England (PHE) released on Friday revealed that the The Delta (Indian) variant is 64% more contagious than the Alpha (Kent).
PHE experts also found that vaccines might be less effective against it.
It was revealed this week that the Delta variant now represents over 90% of new cases in the UK.