In seasonal colds, they saw hope for immunity from COVID-19

WASHINGTON, September 30. / TASS /. Having had a seasonal cold, a person can acquire immunity to infection with many coronaviruses, including the causative agent of COVID-19 – SARS-CoV-2. This is the conclusion reached by American scientists, whose article was published by the scientific journal mBio. But how effective such immunity is, researchers cannot yet say.

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“After analyzing blood samples from 26 patients who were recovering from coronavirus infection, we found that many of them already had a set B cells, who could identify SARS-CoV-2 and, most importantly, could neutralize them, “said one of the study authors, professor at the University of Rochestser Mark Sangster.

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Scientists compared these samples with blood tests taken from healthy people 6 to 10 years earlier. The researchers compared the concentration B cells memory – long-lived immune cells that find pathogens, produce antibodies that can destroy them and remember them – and antibodies that can recognize certain parts of the spike protein – a key component of many coronaviruses, including SARS-CoV-2, thanks to which they penetrate into healthy cells.

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Research has shown that B cells memory from “old” samples could be recognized by almost all beta coronaviruses and suppress their activity using the antibodies produced.

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This means, scientists conclude, that if a person sometime had a cold for a long time and he due to this developed B cells memory, then the latter can save it from coronavirus infection.

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However, how many of these cells should be in the blood to provide a person with protection and how exactly they affect the result of treatment, scientists have not yet been able to figure out. The researchers plan to find out this in the near future.

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