PR85335

REYKJAVIK, Iceland, Sept. 1, 2020 /PRNewswire=KYODO JBN/ --

- Titers of antibodies against SARS-CoV2 do not decline within four months

Scientists at deCODE genetics in Iceland, a subsidiary of Amgen Inc ,

biopharmaceutical company headquartered in California, and their collaborators,

today publish a study in The New England Journal of Medicine, that shows that

antiviral antibodies against SARS-CoV2 do not decline within four months of

diagnosis.

The aim of the study was to obtain understanding of the nature and durability

of the humoral immune response to infection by SARS-CoV-2, the virus that

causes COVID-19.

To that end the scientists measured antibodies in the sera of 30,576 persons in

Iceland (8.4% of the nation) using six assays (two of them pan-Ig) and

determined that the best measure of seropositivity was a positive result with

both pan-Ig assays. They tested 2.102 samples from 1,237 qPCR-positive persons

obtained up to 4 months from diagnosis. They also measured antibodies in 4,222

samples from exposed, quarantined persons and 19000 persons not known to have

been exposed.

Of quarantined persons, 2.3% were seropositive and of those with unknown

exposure, 0.3% were positive.

The scientists estimate that 0.9% of Icelanders were infected by SARS-CoV-2 and

44% of people infected with SARS-CoV2 in Iceland were not diagnosed with qPCR.

The infection fatality rate is 0.3%.  Of the 1,797 persons who recovered from

SARS-CoV-2  in Iceland, 1,107 (91.1%) were seropositive.

"We are pleased to be able to put to rest the concern that the titer of the

antiviral antibodies may decline within weeks of infection, says Kari

Stefansson, CEO of deCODE genetics and senior author on the paper. Furthermore

it is clear that 99,1% of Icelanders are still vulnerable to SARS-CoV2. We are

now focused on studying cell mediated immunity in those who do not raise

antibodies."

Based in Reykjavik, Iceland, deCODE is a global leader in analyzing and

understanding the human genome. Using its unique expertise in human genetics

combined with growing expertise in transcriptomics and population proteomics

and vast amount of phenotypic data, deCODE has discovered risk factors for

dozens of common diseases and provided key insights into their pathogenesis.

The purpose of understanding the genetics of disease is to use that information

to create new means of diagnosing, treating and preventing disease. deCODE is a

wholly-owned subsidiary of Amgen (NASDAQ:AMGN).

Video -

https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1245576/Kari_and_Daniel_on_Covid_19_paper.mp4  

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Contact:

Thora Kristin Asgeirsdottir

PR and Communications

deCODE genetics

thoraa@decode.is

354 894 1909

Source: deCODE genetics