As death rates in the UK near 96,000, the ONS has released data that suggests an average of one in ten people in the UK could have been carrying COVID-19 antibodies in December.
Across the four nations, England was seen to have the highest percentage of antibodies before the Christmas period, with 12% of the population believed to be immune.
This data correlates with the rise in infections during the period of December, which the ONS suggests being the cause of the increased number of positive antibody tests.
But what are antibodies?
Antibodies are proteins that live in your blood to fight off specific infections, coronavirus has it’s own set of antibodies needed to fight the infection.
While having Covid provides you with these essential antibodies, it is well known that any antibodies built up during infection can fade over time. For a more permanent presence of antibodies in the blood a vaccine is required. This then forces the body to fight the infection without actually getting the virus.
With the roll out of the Pfizer and Oxford vaccines underway, the hope for greater and more permanent immunity is more tangible now more than ever.
