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Low antibody titer may lead to repeat COVID-19 infection, virologist says

The presence of antibodies does not guarantee a 100% protection from the infection, according to the expert

MOSCOW, August 25. /TASS/. Repeat coronavirus infection is possible if the antibody titer is at the low level, that is, the presence of antibodies does not guarantee a 100% protection from the infection, Director of the Scientific Information Center for Prevention and Treatment of Viral Infections Georgy Vikulov told the Govorit Moskva radio station.

"Repeat infections are possible. Antibodies do not guarantee a hundred-percent protection from the infection because not all people have high antibody titers. The titer decreases rapidly in some people, some of them do not develop it at all, or else it isn’t and wasn’t there, it hadn’t been developed," he said.

The expert noted that an additional detailed analysis of a quantitative antibody detection may help study the virus and its features. However, according to the virologist, this method is still being implemented.

On Monday, head of Russia’s Siberian Tuva Region Sholban Kara-ool reported a repeat infection with the novel coronavirus. He was transported to Moscow for an additional check-up. Earlier the head of the Tuva Region had already contracted the coronavirus and was hospitalized. He was discharged on June 4. The press service of the republic's government specified that then the region’s leader had a light form of the infection.