A Group Of German Scientists Announced The Beginning Of The Formation Of Collective Immunity To Coronavirus

A group of German scientists announced the beginning of the formation of collective immunity to coronavirus

Such conclusions were made based on the results of a large-scale study in the German community of Gangelt, where an outbreak of SARS-CoV-2 was recorded.

Photo: Say-Mars-Say-Yeah

The Institute of Virology at the University Hospital Bonn conducted a sample study for the presence of IgA and IgG antibodies in 1,000 residents from 400 households in the German community of Gangelt, affected by the coronavirus. Analysis of data from 500 people showed that 15% of the studied population is already immune to COVID-19.

“The specificity of the method used is quite high (> 99%), so the proportion of false-positive results is not at all high. It should be understood that the majority of those immunized had the infection asymptomatic. Swabs from the nasal and oropharyngeal mucous membranes were taken from the same people in order to detect the virus itself by PCR. It was found in 2%. If we add up the data on both tests, we can assume that 15% of the Gangelt population have already passed the infection and developed immunity to it, "commented the study, doctor and medical blogger Alexei Yakovlev.

Professor Gunther Hartmann, who led the study, said 60-70% of the population with antibodies is required to suppress the epidemic. However, even 15% can contribute to reducing the spread of the disease.

Scientists have promised to conduct research in other regions of Germany to get a fuller picture. In addition, they predict that the death rate will soon drop significantly.

The scientific community reacted to the study with restrained optimism.

“Finding that 14% of the Gangelt population have antibodies does not in any way prove that these 14% have acquired immunity. By itself, the presence of some antibodies does not necessarily mean the emergence of immunity, as is often claimed. We also don't know how long any immunity will last,”said Dr. Simon Clark, Associate Professor in the Department of Cell Microbiology at the University of Reading.

Professor David Heymann, professor of infectious disease epidemiology at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, recalled that the immune response to SARSCoV2 has not yet been studied. In addition, the possibility of re-infection has not been fully studied, but there are such facts.

“Although the authors of this work mentioned the possible formation of herd immunity, it is too early to make such statements,” he stressed.