Only 10% of patients develop COVID-19 antibodies 

June 8, 2020  16:47

Only 10% of COVID-19 patients develop antibodies to the virus, said the WHO advisor Professor Karol Sikora.

According to him, the antibody test will be negative in most COVID-19 patients and that is why mass testing of the population for antibodies makes no sense: they will not help to assess the real extent of the pandemic, Daily Mail reported.

Many governments hope that mass testing for antibodies to coronavirus will help to better navigate the issue of weakening quarantine measures: for example, those who are immune to COVID-19 can return to work.

But, according to the expert, far from all who contracted the virus develop antibodies: some may use a different immune response to protect themselves from the virus. For example, T cells are the first line of defense of the body, and they begin to 'act' long before the need for antibodies appears.

According to the expert, some parts of the body’s immune response remain a mystery to scientists: they cannot be understood or 'measured'. This means that there may be no way to assess the real extent of the COVID-19 pandemic or to identify those who have already been infected.

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