A new study suggests that T-cell immunity against the coronavirus is likely to be present six months after infection.

The data offers another piece of the puzzle that could be key to understanding whether previous Sars-CoV-2 infections – the virus behind Covid-19 – can prevent reinfection, and if so, for how long.

The study, led by the UK coronavirus immunology consortium, evaluated 100 non-hospitalised healthcare workers in March and April after antibody responses were detected in them. It is yet to be peer-reviewed.

Data released from a 100,000-person sample in August indicated about 6% of the population of England had antibodies – proteins produced in response to an infection – but antibody levels dropped by more than a quarter in three months, researchers revealed in late October.

Get the full story at theguardian.com.