Coronavirus antibodies can last at least three months after a person becomes infected with the virus that causes COVID-19, according to a study published in Science Immunology.
Researchers from the University of Toronto and the Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute at Sinai Health used both saliva and blood samples from COVID-19 patients to measure and compare antibody levels for over three months post-symptom onset.
They found that antibodies of the IgG class that bind to the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein are detectable for at least 115 days, representing the longest time interval measured. The study is also the first to show these antibodies can also be detected in the saliva.
“Our study shows that IgG antibodies against the spike protein of the virus are relatively durable in both blood and saliva,” said Jennifer Gommerman, professor of immunology in U of T’s Temerty Faculty of Medicine and leader of the saliva testing effort.
Read more at University of Toronto
Image: Coronavirus antibodies can last at least three months after a person becomes infected with the virus that causes COVID-19, according to a new study published Thursday in Science Immunology. (Credit: Sinai Health)