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COVID-19 survivors remain immune to coronavirus and disease? So far, this issue has caused controversy. The answer came from a study by scientists from Australia. Their discovery also gives hope for a longer protective effect of SARS-CoV-2 vaccines. Their work was published in Science Immunology.
- Scientists: immunity to COVID-19 lasts at least eight months
- Research findings may also explain why there are so few cases of SARS-CoV-2 reinfection among the millions of people infected worldwide
- Prof. Menno van Zelma from Monash University: the latest work gives hope that COVID-19 vaccines will protect us for a long time
- More information on interesting information can be found on the Onet homepage.
Acquiring immunity to a previous disease – what does it depend on?
As scientists from several research centers in Australia recall, under the supervision of prof. Menno van Zelma from Monash University conducted research, the persistence of immunity after COVID-19 is questioned as the levels of anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies drop in survivors. However, acquiring immunity to a history of disease depends on long-lived memory T cells, which recognize specific viral proteins – and memory B cells, which are responsible for the production of specific antibodies against the virus.
- Lymphocytes – the role in the body and deviations from the norm [EXPLAINED]
Already in the first half of December, the prestigious journal Cell published the results of a study that showed that patients who have undergone COVID-19 mildly develop immune memory B lymphocytes, capable of producing specific antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 when re-exposed to the virus. Their good level was found until about the third month after the onset of the disease symptoms (because the study was conducted for so long).
In the latest work in the pages of Science Immunology, scientists from several research centers in Australia under the supervision of prof. Menno van Zelma from Monash University (Department of Immunology and Pathology) proved that memory B lymphocytes that specifically recognize SARS-CoV-2 persist in the body of convalescents for at least eight months.
COVID-19 Vaccines Will Protect For Longer Term?
The studies were performed in a small group of 25 patients who had blood drawn between Day 4 and Day 242 after symptoms had resolved.
As in other studies, it also showed that levels of anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies began to decline from day 20 after the infection (precisely after symptoms disappeared). These were antibodies against the receptor binding domain (RBD) of the viral S-peak protein and against the nucleocapsid protein (NCP).
At the same time, memory B lymphocytes specifically recognizing the receptor binding domain or the SARS-CoV-2 nucleocapsid protein were detected in the patients’ blood very quickly after infection. Memory B cell levels increased by day 150 post infection and lasted up to at least 242 days (eight months) after symptom resolution.
- How does the immune system work?
“These results are important because they definitely show that patients infected with the virus that causes COVID-19 do indeed retain immunity to the virus and the disease,” says Prof. van Zelm. They may also explain why there are so few cases of actual reinfection with SARS-CoV-2 among the millions of people infected worldwide. According to the researcher, the latest work also offers hope that COVID-19 vaccines will protect us for a long time.
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PAP / Joanna Morga