Even mild Covid-19 cases may provide lasting immunity, shows study

According to the researchers, the antibody responses tend to wane and are not detectable in all patients

Mild cases of Covid-19 can trigger robust memory T cell responses: an essential part of the immune system, even in the absence of detectable virus-specific antibody responses, say researchers.

The study, published in the journal Cell, revealed that memory T cell responses generated by natural exposure to or infection with SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes Covid-19, may be a significant immune component to prevent recurrent episodes of severe disease.

"It is critical to determine if exposed or infected people, especially those with asymptomatic or very mild forms of the disease who likely act inadvertently as the major transmitters, develop robust