Almost all people previously infected with Covid-19 have high levels of antibodies for at least six months that are likely to protect them from reinfection with the disease, results of a major UK study showed.

Scientists said the study, which measured levels of previous infection in populations across Britain, as well as how long antibodies persisted in those infected, should provide some reassurance that swift cases of reinfection will be rare.

“The vast majority of people retain detectable antibodies for at least six months after infection with the coronavirus,” said Naomi Allen, a professor and chief scientist at the UK Biobank, where the study was carried out.

Among participants who had tested positive for previous Covid-19 infection, 99 per cent retained antibodies to SARS-CoV-2 for three months, the results showed. After the full six months of follow-up in the study, 88pc still had them, Reuters reported.