Antibody study dims hopes of virus vaccine

A study by scientists in the southern German city of Munich suggests coronavirus antibodies may not remain in the body longer than a few months, dampening hopes of an effective vaccine or long-term immunity. Tests on patients treated at Munich’s Schwabing Clinic showed a significant drop in the number of so-called neutralising antibodies in the blood, said Clemens Wendtner, senior consultant at the hospital’s department for infectious diseases. “In four of the nine patients, we see falling neutralising antibodies in a very special test that can only be carried out in a high-security laboratory,” said Clemens Wendtner. “The extent to…