A new study by Chinese scientists shows that only people with an acute or moderate COVID-19 course achieve long-term immunity. Meanwhile, about 80 percent of people infected with SARS-CoV-2 have mild or asymptomatic disease. The Chinese have published the results of their research on medrxiv.org, where there are preliminary reports that have not yet been fully verified.
A team of doctors from the Institute of Immunology of the Army Medical University in Chongqing, working under the supervision of Dr. Ye Lilina, described cases of patients with moderate and severe symptoms. Researchers recorded the reactions of the immune system, which “remembered” the virus and would therefore be able to recognize it and fight it if SARS-CoV-2 attacks again.
Chinese doctors examined blood samples taken from 60 patients in various stages of the disease. They compared the results with a control group of 8 people who had not been exposed to the virus. It has been shown that asymptomatic or mildly symptomatic COVID-19 patients did not develop persistent antibodies against re-infection.
On the other hand, in the body of people with an acute course of COVID-19, the so-called B lymphocytes (memory lymphocytes), which can provide resistance to reinfection for up to several dozen years. At the same time, researchers discovered the lack of T lymphocytes in their bodies, which are responsible for the immune response. Unfortunately, they could not explain this phenomenon.
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The Chinese findings indicate the possibility of reinfection, and their research “lays the foundation for rational development of effective vaccines.”
The world took intense action to create an effective and safe vaccine for the coronavirus a few months ago. More than 400 are currently being developed, and several have entered their final phase of clinical trials in humans. The news from the vaccine front is optimistic. Most preparations induce the desired reaction of the immune system, although it is not known how long the immunity acquired with vaccination will last.
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Meanwhile, more and more studies are published proving that the infected develop short-term immunity. Last week, an article appeared in the prestigious medical journal The Lancet, discussing the case of a 25-year-old from Nevada. The first coronavirus infection was moderate, but the second was already severe.
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