Convalescent Antibodies from COVID-19 Last Up to 18 months

A study in Italy compared two groups of people. Both groups have recovered from COVID-19. One group (n=21) was vaccinated with two doses of the Pfizer-Biontech COVID-19 vaccine, and the other group (n=19) was not.

Backgrounder: The SARS-CoV-2 virus has several proteins, including the spike and nucleocapsid protein (NCP). After a COVID-19 infection, antibodies (IgG) to both are produced.

Meanwhile, the Pfizer COVID vaccine contains instructions for the spike protein, so after a Pfizer shot, only antibodies to the spike protein are expected to increase.

In March 2020, all participants had an infection, the predominant type of which was the Wuhan. Serial blood samples were collected at several time points.

Results

A. Unvaccinated convalescent antibodies last 18 months

The unvaccinated convalescent group continued to have anti-spike and anti-nucleocapsid antibodies for up to 18 months and did not report any COVID-19 reinfection despite multiple waves of variant strains.

According to the authors, this study shows the longest duration of antibody presence after a COVID-19 infection in unvaccinated people.

Other studies showing the duration of antibody levels post-COVID-19

• Seven months [6]
• Eight months [7]
• Ten months [8]
• Eleven [9]
• Thirteen  [10]
• Fourteen [11]

Antinucleocapsid antibodies protect by facilitating antibody-dependent cytotoxicity and the complement system.

B. The rapid rise and decline of vaccinated antibodies

The graphs below represent the antibody levels (IgG) developed after the vaccination (vertical blue line). Two patients (33) and(36) dropped out of the study, so there is no red line after their shots.

Note the rapid and steep increase in antibody levels after vaccination. The rise in the IgG averaged 161 times immediately after the shots, but the rise was short-lived.

The study participants’ numbers were randomly assigned, so some numbers are missing in the figure above. Those missing numbers represent the unvaccinated.

• Durable Immunity from Pfizer COVID-19 Vaccine Lasts only Six Months
• Omicron can evade antibodies from vaccinated and COVID convalescent people
• Study shows absence of omicron neutralization with the Pfizer and AstraZeneca shots
• Study: Vaccination Does Not Affect the Number of COVID-19 Cases

 Thoughts about the study

In their discussion, the investigators mentioned that mRNA vaccination also produces another antibody, IgA, in addition to the anti-spike IgG. However, the IgA from the vaccination is produced in the blood.

SARS-CoV-2 infections elicit secretory IgAs present in the linings of the nose and throat. These secretory IgAs bind to the SARS-CoV-2 viruses before they attach to human cells and thus prevent infections. In contrast, vaccine-induced IgA floating in the blood does not prevent infection.

The rise in the anti-spike IgG after the COVID shots (161 times) may look protective against COVID-19, and that is true. However, several studies [2][3][4][5] have shown that some of the spike proteins produced after the shots go to the bloodstream and potentially incite an inflammatory and thrombotic response wherever they may go. Those studies are featured in the following articles.

• SARS-CoV-2 spike proteins detected in the plasma following Moderna shots.
• Donor Blood Can Have Spike Protein Exosomes
• Study shows spike proteins affect cardiac pericytes and explain why soccer players collapse
• 13 ways that the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein causes damage

Furthermore, the featured study [1] can only conclude up to 18 months because that is the duration of the study. Future antibody duration studies will probably show a longer duration.

Don’t Get Sick!

Knowledge about Covid-19 is rapidly evolving. Stay current by subscribing. Feel free to share and like.

If you find value in the articles, please consider donating to show your support.

Natural Immunity-related articles:

1. T cells from previous infections and shots are protective against the Omicron variant
2. People who recovered from COVID-19 have effective T-cells against the omicron
3. Computer model: Natural antibodies still effective on the omicron variant
4. Ten Studies showing a low risk of COVID-19 reinfection among unvaccinated
5. High Anti-SARS-CoV-2 Antibodies Among the Unvaccinated in Bangui, Central African Republic
6. Protective Antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 are the same in Convalescent and Vaccinated
7. Asymptomatic or mild symptomatic COVID-19 elicits effective and long-lasting antibody responses in children and adolescents
8. Can coronaviruses elicit long-lasting immunity?
9. 60% may already have Immunity to COVID-19
10. Pre-Existing T-Cells Stop COVID-19 Before it Starts
11. Harvard: Immunity from mild COVID-19 infection much better than vaccination
12. Natural Immunity Protected Tanzania and Zambia from COVID-19
13. CD4+ Cross-Reactivity between Seasonal Coronavirus Colds and COVID-19
14. Antibodies to COVID-19 can Exist in the Uninfected

References:

1. Puya-Dehgani-Mobaraki et al. Long-Term Persistence of IgG Antibodies in recovered COVID-19 individuals at 18 months and the impact of two-dose BNT162b2 (Pfizer-BioNTech) mRNA vaccination on the antibody response.  medRxiv 2022.01.18.22269349; doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2022.01.18.22269349
2. Kowarz E, Krutzke L, Reis J, et al. “Vaccine-Induced Covid-19 Mimicry” Syndrome: Splice reactions within the SARS-CoV-2 Spike open reading frame result in Spike protein variants that may cause thromboembolic events in patients immunized with vector-based vaccines. Research Square; 2021. DOI: 10.21203/rs.3.rs-558954/v1.
3. Lee LL, Chintalgattu V. Pericytes in the Heart. Adv Exp Med Biol. 2019;1122:187-210. doi: 10.1007/978-3-030-11093-2_11. PMID: 30937870.
4. Ogata AF. et al. Circulating SARS-CoV-2 Vaccine Antigen Detected in the Plasma of mRNA-1273 Vaccine Recipients [published online ahead of print, 2021 May 20]. Clin Infect Dis. 2021;ciab465. doi:10.1093/CID/ciab465
5. Bansal et al. Cutting Edge: Circulating Exosomes with COVID Spike Protein Are Induced by BNT162b2 (Pfizer–BioNTech) Vaccination before Development of Antibodies: A Novel Mechanism for Immune Activation by mRNA Vaccines. J Immunol November 15, 2021, 207 (10) 2405-2410
6. Abu-Raddad LJ et al. SARS-CoV-2 antibody-positivity protects against reinfection for at least seven months with 95% efficacy. EClinicalMedicine. 2021 May;35:100861. doi: 10.1016/j.eclinm.2021.100861. Epub 2021 Apr 28. PMID: 33937733; PMCID: PMC8079668. 
7. Anand SP, Prévost J, Nayrac M, et al. Longitudinal analysis of humoral immunity against SARS-CoV-2 Spike in convalescent individuals up to 8 months post-symptom onset. Cell Rep Med. 2021;2(6):100290. doi:10.1016/j.xcrm.2021.100290 
8. Egbert ER, Xiao S, Colantuoni E, et al. Durability of Spike Immunoglobin G Antibodies to SARS-CoV-2 Among Health Care Workers With Prior Infection. JAMA Netw Open. 2021;4(8):e2123256. doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2021.23256 
9. Turner JS, et al. SARS-CoV-2 infection induces long-lived bone marrow plasma cells in humans. Nature. 2021 Jul;595(7867):421-425. doi: 10.1038/s41586-021-03647-4. Epub 2021 May 24. PMID: 34030176. 
10. Gallais F, et al.  Evolution of antibody responses up to 13 months after SARS-CoV-2
    infection and risk of reinfection. EBioMedicine. 2021 Sep;71:103561. doi:
    10.1016/j.ebiom.2021.103561. Epub 2021 Aug 27. PMID: 34455390; PMCID: PMC8390300. 
11. Dehgani-Mobaraki P et al. Longitudinal observation of antibody responses for 14 months after SARS-CoV-2 infection. Clin Immunol. 2021 
    Sep;230:108814.  doi: 10.1016/j.clim.2021.108814. Epub 2021 Jul 31. PMID: 34343708; PMCID: PMC8325385.

© 2018 – 2022 Asclepiades Medicine, L.L.C. All Rights Reserved
DrJesseSantiano.com does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment

As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.