Illustrative stock photo (source: Unsplash)
The vaccines against Covid-19 create a stronger antibody response than a person recovering from the disease. At the same time, the level of antibodies significantly increases if a person who has recovered is vaccinated.
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This stems from recent research of the Biomedical Research Centre of the Slovak Academy of Sciences (BMC SAV), which just completed the first phase of its study focused on the level of antibodies against SARS-CoV-2. The centre took samples from SAV employees.
Those participating in the experiment had received the second Covid vaccine shot or fully recovered from Covid at least 14 days prior, regardless of being administered a vaccine.
The researchers used the ELISA method to detect antibodies specific to the virus' S protein.
“The preliminary results are encouraging,” the press release of BMC SAV reads. Out of 800 examined samples, 88 percent were highly positive regarding the presence of antibodies, 9 percent were positive and 3 percent negative.
Vaccines provide better protection
A relative level of antibodies. Legend (from the top to bottom): only vaccine, asymptomatic Covid-19, light Covid-19, medium serious Covid-19, very serious Covid-19, asymptomatic Covid-19 & vaccine, light Covid-19 & vaccines, medium serious Covid-19 and vaccine, very serious Covid-19 & vaccine (source: BMC SAV)
“The relationship between the level of antibodies and their defensive function in a particular individual is not precisely defined yet, as the risk of infection and the course of the disease are affected by other factors like immunity, the state of the organism and the characteristics of the viral variants,” the press release reads. “Nevertheless, antibodies are undoubtedly an important part of the immunity defence against Covid-19, as proven by their targeted use in the treatment of this disease.”
Health analyst Martin Smatana wrote on Facebook that these conclusions are in accordance with knowledge from abroad.
“In other words, vaccines provide better protection than if a person recovers from Covid alone,” he wrote. “I'm glad that we can also confirm with ‘our’ data that vaccines are the most effective tool in fighting the pandemic.”
