SEATTLE, Wash. — A fishing boat from Seattle that saw a massive outbreak of COVID-19 among its crew turned out to be a perfect test tube for UW researchers.
The entire crew of 122 was tested before the ship left for Alaska but the illness broke out and 104 got sick.
Dr. Alex Greninger says three crew members who carried antibodies from a previous infection were among the few that didn’t get the disease.
He says this is the first evidence they have that these antibodies can prevent re-infection in people, and the information is helping them hone in on how to create an immune response with a vaccine.
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