“Do you have antibodies after having covid?”
I recovered from covid a week ago, I was exposed to someone that currently has covid. Do I have antibodies yet? Am I likely to get covid again so soon after from them?
Male | 29 years old
2 Answers
In general terms, with lots of variability, you will start developeing antibodies against covid in 2-3 weeks after the infection, the level will peak in a couple of months, and then will drop and then disappear in about 5-7 months. Thus, you can get covid again starting a few mos after having it. This is also why it is recommended to get the vaccine and then get BOOSTED about 6 months later--in order to re-stimulate production of antibodies once they have returned to baseline and thus extend immunity.
Assuming you don't have a compromised immune system, you probably have antibodies to the variant that you were exposed to. Your doctor can order antibody testing.
Are you immune to the virus now? Do you have an adequate immune response if you’ve been recently infected?
"DON’T assume you’re immune from COVID-19." The most important thing to do is NOT assume you’re immune to the coronavirus, even if you’ve had a confirmed COVID-19 diagnosis before, and even if you were vaccinated.
The antibody response and protection from innate immunity and protection with vaccines is still being studied. Antibody testing and results vary by the method used and the lab doing the testing (which is not universal).
There are at least four identified and different variants including alpha, delta, mu and omicron, in the past 2 years. “Some variants have caused worse disease than others, but one consistent feature of all of them is that they’ve become more adept at evading our bodies’ defenses.
Therefore, even if you had a mild case of a variant and made a full recovery with no complications, other circulating variants could still infect you. And brand new variants may still be on the horizon.”
See your doctor for antibody testing.
Are you immune to the virus now? Do you have an adequate immune response if you’ve been recently infected?
"DON’T assume you’re immune from COVID-19." The most important thing to do is NOT assume you’re immune to the coronavirus, even if you’ve had a confirmed COVID-19 diagnosis before, and even if you were vaccinated.
The antibody response and protection from innate immunity and protection with vaccines is still being studied. Antibody testing and results vary by the method used and the lab doing the testing (which is not universal).
There are at least four identified and different variants including alpha, delta, mu and omicron, in the past 2 years. “Some variants have caused worse disease than others, but one consistent feature of all of them is that they’ve become more adept at evading our bodies’ defenses.
Therefore, even if you had a mild case of a variant and made a full recovery with no complications, other circulating variants could still infect you. And brand new variants may still be on the horizon.”
See your doctor for antibody testing.
