According to the researchers, previous studies had provided conflicting accounts about whether people recovering quickly from the viral infection can sustain potentially-protective antibodies or not.
The study, published in the journal Science, found that this antibody response correlates with the body's ability to neutralize (kill) SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes Covid-19.
This connection may explain the high incidence of cancer among those who consume large amounts of dairy products and red meat, similar to the link between high cholesterol and an increased risk of heart disease.