The study, funded by the British government, surveyed 365,104 adults in England who tested themselves at home with a finger-prick test for COVID-19 antibodies. The study, published Oct. 26, has not been peer reviewed.
Four key findings:
1. Six percent of the participants had virus antibodies June 20, compared to 4.4 percent on Sept. 28.
2. The findings suggest 18 to 24-year-olds lose antibodies at a slower rate than those 75 and older.
3. People who didn’t exhibit symptoms were likely to lose detectable antibodies before those who did show symptoms.
4. By the end of September, 13.8 percent of Black people and 9.7 percent of Asians had antibodies, compared to 3.6 percent of white people.
If the study’s findings are confirmed, the prospect of widespread long-term herd immunity may be difficult to achieve.
More articles on public health:
25 states where COVID-19 is spreading fastest, slowest: Oct. 27
COVID-19 hospitalizations by state: Oct. 27
Only 25 ICU beds open in North Dakota; US sees most new COVID-19 cases in 1 week — 6 updates
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