The second line of defense of the immune system, T cells, has been shown to be highly effective in recognizing and counteracting the Coronavirus Omicron variant, in most cases preventing it from reaching the critical phase of Covid-19. This is shown by the results of laboratory tests in South Africa, Reuters reported, quoted by BNR.
The mutations that Omicron has help it avoid antibodies, which are the first line of defense against infection. It was thought that other elements of the immune system would still deter this option, but so far there was no evidence of this.
In laboratory studies, South African scientists exposed copies of the virus to T cells taken from volunteers vaccinated with Pfizer / Biontech and Johnson & Johnson, as well as from unvaccinated but surviving earlier variants of the coronavirus. .
Most vaccine- or disease-induced T cells responded with Omicron cross-response recognition, the researchers said in a publication in medRxiv. And they conclude that well-preserved T-cell immunity is likely to help prevent severe Covid-19 disease.
This conclusion coincides with the early assumptions of doctors in South Africa that most people infected with Omicron are not seriously ill.
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