Research is emerging from King’s College, London, suggesting that post-infection immunity to Covid-19 may fall off drastically in the months following infection and recovery. Researchers followed 59 patients and 6 healthcare workers with confirmed Covid cases: gathering and analyzing sequential serum samples for 94 days following the onset of symptoms. The objective? Provide insight into the human antibody response to Covid-19 infection, uncover how long antibody levels are maintained by the body, and find out whether they will provide protection from re-infection for patients who recover.
While I encourage anyone interested to read the full study, here is the upshot:
The good news: antibody production correlated with severity. The worse the symptoms were for patients in the study, the better their body did at producing antibodies to fight off the infection. However, even people with asymptomatic Covid-19 can produce “highly potent neutralizing monoclonal antibodies (p. 9)” to the virus.
The bad news: they didn’t last. Antibodies were shown to decline across all participants, especially in the 20 to 30 days after the onset of symptoms. In fact, only 16.7% of patients maintained potent antibodies to Covid-19 for more than 65 days after the onset of symptoms.
Early indications point to Covid-19 behaving more like the common cold than like diseases we routinely vaccinate against such as chickenpox (Varicella), Diptheria, tetanus, etc. If a vaccine is developed for Covid-19, it’s effectiveness may be limited to a relatively short 2 to 3 month window of time (see study discussion on p. 11)
So, now that we appear to be facing something 50 to 100 times as deadly as the flu that may continue to spread as easily as the common cold, what do we do about it?
The most important thing that business leaders should take from this data is that a duck-and-cover mentality will not work. The idea of sending employees home for a few months, seeking safe bridge strategies, and then picking up again like normal in a few months is a fantasy. This will not blow over quickly and things will not go back to the way they were any time soon. The challenge is not to wait out the virus, it is to grow businesses, develop people, and provide unique customer value in ways that we can sustain with a virus that is likely here to stay. There are ways to do this and do it well! From embracing permanent remote work, using distributed teams, and leveraging hybrid operating strategies to rethinking the company office, there are many good options for business leaders looking to move their business forward.
In addition, the pandemic has created entirely new opportunities for firms to restructure their operations and solve new problems for their target market. For example, Austin area businesses could take advantage of the nearly 50% reduction in new office leases to renegotiate their lease, find a more functional space for their business, or break up a large single office into smaller satellite offices to protect against company wide viral spread and reduce facilities costs. Utilities in the business of selling power to rural customers could use their existing right of ways and access easements to tap into increased demand for high speed internet as employees look for less populated areas from which to telecommute. Janitorial firms servicing businesses with brick and mortar locations have an opportunity to profitably add additional disinfection and sanitization services. In addition to struggles and challenges, the emerging post-Covid reality is creating new opportunities for almost every firm. Now is the time to go back to your mission, vision, and target customer to identify and capitalize on those opportunities.
The firms that will emerge from this challenge faster and stronger will be those that know their customers well enough to anticipate their needs and provide solutions that add value. While the mix will be different for every firm, it will consist of a combination of existing products & services, modifications & tweaks to existing offerings, and entirely new creations designed to meet emerging needs. Think you know your customers well? Good; your company’s future depends on it.
While some will panic, and some businesses will fail, it’s important to remember that the challenges we are facing are not actually unprecedented. The world has seen pandemics before. What’s unique is that we have never before had such a large pallet of technological and data-driven SOLUTIONS to draw from to address that challenge. Every past generation faced with global forces, including pandemics, war, and social change have found ways to succeed. We are better equipped at this moment in history to deal with our challenge than any previous generation and we will find our path to success. It won’t be easy but outside perspective and knowledgeable guidance can help. Let’s get to work!
About the Author
David Macauley
A passionate business educator and innovator, David Macauley helps businesses and organizations succeed by developing, equipping, and empowering their people.
As a Convene's first Chair in Austin Texas, David engages business owners and CEO's to inspire business performance with an eternal perspective. David's Convene group members work in fellowship to profitably grow their businesses, build their leadership skills, and develop their people through peer-to-peer collaboration and one-to-one coaching. Click here to learn more and connect with David!