Immunity to Covid-19 could be lost in months, UK study suggests

"Antibody responses".

Not discussed:

- Immunological memory (or lack thereof): we don't have antibodies in our bloodstream for all the vaccinations we did - they're triggered by infections

- T cell responses (which seem to play a part in some mild cases, although the Swedish study discussing this was criticized)

In fact, from the discussion in the paper, it is mentioned:

> However, the role T-cell responses generated through either infection or vaccination play in controlling disease cannot be discounted in these studies [vaccination studies quoted before] and defining further the correlates and longevity of vaccine protection is needed.

The only thing one can do is to wait, at this point, and see whether there are reinfections (and by reinfections it does not mean a PCR-positive test: it would require testing for infectious virus in cell cultures).

Actually, the study makes more interesting points than this one, including using classes of antibodies as markers of acute infection. Too bad the press seems interested in something else (without realizing that the appeals at the "miracle vaccine" will not work if immunity is not long-lasting).

This retired neurosurgical anesthesiologist's immediate, off-the-top-of-my-head response is that you're spot-on in zeroing in on this. If lost immunity over months proves to be the case, vaccination would require constant boosters — say, every 2-3 months. If by injection, a non-starter. Orally, like the Sabin polio vaccine, that's another story. All the many current vaccination trials require IM injections. See, for example: https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-020-01092-3