Israelis who had an infection were more protected against the Delta coronavirus variant than those who had an already highly effective COVID-19 vaccine The natural immune protection that develops after a SARS-CoV-2 infection offers considerably more of a shield against the Delta variant of the pandemic coronavirus than two doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, according…
Tag: Immunology
Cell Reports Medicine reports “Longitudinal analysis shows durable and broad immune memory after SARS-CoV-2 infection with persisting antibody responses and memory B and T cells”
Ending the COVID-19 pandemic will require long-lived immunity to SARS-CoV-2. Here, we evaluate 254 COVID-19 patients longitudinally up to 8 months and find durable broad-based immune responses. SARS-CoV-2 spike binding and neutralizing antibodies exhibit a bi-phasic decay with an extended half-life of >200 days suggesting the generation of longer-lived plasma cells. SARS-CoV-2 infection also boosts antibody titers…
Reuters reports “Gut bacteria tied to [Covid] disease severity, immune response; high mental health toll seen in ICUs”
The microscopic organisms living in our intestines may influence the severity of COVID-19 and the body’s immune response to it, and could account for lingering symptoms, researchers reported on Monday in the journal Gut. They found that the gut microorganisms in COVID-19 patients were very different from those in uninfected individuals. “COVID patients lack certain…
New York Times reports “Quarantine May Negatively Affect Kids’ Immune Systems”
Keeping children masked and separated is necessary. It could also undermine their bodies’ ability to learn how to fight pathogens. During the Covid-19 pandemic, the world is unwittingly conducting what amounts to the largest immunological experiment in history on our own children. We have been keeping children inside, relentlessly sanitizing their living spaces and their…
NY Times reports “Immunity to the Coronavirus May Last Years, New Data Hint”
Blood samples from recovered patients suggest a powerful, long-lasting immune response, researchers reported. How long might immunity to the coronavirus last? Years, maybe even decades, according to a new study — the most hopeful answer yet to a question that has shadowed plans for widespread vaccination. Eight months after infection, most people who have recovered still…
Reuters reports “T-cell study adds to debate over duration of COVID-19 immunity”
LONDON (Reuters) – A small but key UK study has found that “cellular immunity” to the pandemic SARS-CoV-2 virus is present after six months in people who had mild or asymptomatic COVID-19 – suggesting they might have some level of protection for at least that time. Scientists presenting the findings, from 100 non-hospitalised COVID-19 patients…
FT reports “T-cell response delivers coronavirus immunity after infection, study shows”
Coronavirus induces strong and long-lasting cellular immunity after infection, new research shows, suggesting people are unlikely to quickly catch the disease again and increasing the chances vaccines will be effective. “Our study is the first in the world to show robust cellular immunity remains at six months after infection in individuals who experienced either mild/moderate…
AIMSIB reports “COVID serious, admit the existence of facilitating antibodies”
The phenomenon of facilitating viral infections by antibodies exists for many viruses including coronaviruses. Instead of behaving as described by classical immunology (protective effect), antibodies allow the virus to penetrate target cells more easily. This mechanism could make a future vaccine against Covid-19 dangerous: this effect was demonstrated in animal tests with SARS1 vaccine candidates…
Washington University reports “Boosting immune system a potential treatment strategy for COVID-19”
New findings from a team of researchers led by scientists at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis point to another theory and suggest that patients become ill because their immune systems can’t do enough to protect them from the virus, landing them in intensive care units. They suggest that boosting immunity could be…
Business Insider reports “We now have the best evidence yet that everyone develops long-term coronavirus immunity after infection — and it’s not just about antibodies”
Some early studies have suggested that coronavirus antibodies fade relatively quickly, but that doesn’t mean immunity vanishes. A new study found that all participants infected with COVID-19 — even those with asymptomatic or mild cases and patients who didn’t have detectable antibodies — developed virus-specific T cells. T cells identify and kill infected cells, and B cells create new antibodies. Those…