Do people who have had COVID-19 have immunity? How long does it last?
It has been observed that in patients who have suffered severely from COVID-19 your immune system, which produces the body's defenses, generated a clear response giving rise to antibodiesBut what about those who have had a mild or moderate illness, that is, the majority? What is the function of immunity to COVID-19 and how long does it last? And, above all, does it protect us from reinfection?
Plasma treatment
A recent study published in the journal Science in October attempts to answer all this. Researchers at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York, with Ania Wajnberg at the head, have been looking for plasma donors since March 2020 to treat infected patients. Let us not forget that this treatment is a option until a vaccine or medicine arrives. ÉThis consists of donating the liquid part of the blood of those who have recovered from the disease and who have antibodies..
The study selected 30082 patients who suffered from the COVID-19, who presented positive PCR or simply symptoms of the disease. In addition, all of them suffered the disease in a mild to moderate form without requiring hospital admission. Regarding the first question to be resolved, they observed that they are Most of them (approximately 70%) show a high antibody response.
From this large sample of responding patients they were able to continue analyzing the function of this protection, finding that in the 90% of cases generated antibodies prepared to block viruses called neutralizing.
How long are we protected against the virus if we have developed antibodies?
Regarding the time in which we could be protected against the virus, maintaining these antibodies, we are told of a possible stable duration of about 3 to 5 months since the first symptoms were presentedsymptomsThis data is novel since, compared to other studies published until now, they spoke of 2 months.
In conclusion, it should be noted that, after obtaining these data, researchers are positive in thinking that patients who have this immunity have less chance of reinfection and, in the event of superinfection, suffer from it in a milder form.
Although it should be added that at the moment there is no clear evidence to know whether these patients are protected against reinfection and for how long they would be protected.
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Last updated on 7 March, 2026
