Harianjogja.com, JAKARTA – There are many people who have not been infected with the Corona virus despite living in the same neighborhood and under the same conditions as those who have contracted Covid-19.
So what makes these people “invincible” by the Corona virus?
A study by Imperial College London said that some people had higher levels of T cells, a type of memory cell in the immune system, which developed from other common cold coronaviruses; and these people demonstrated immunity to the Corona virus that currently causes Covid-19.
“We found that high levels of pre-existing T cells, which the body makes when infected with other human coronaviruses such as the common cold, may protect against Covid-19 infection,” said Rhia Kundu, the study’s author. Times of India.
There are a number of Corona viruses in the world, one of which is the common cold. As per research although all coronaviruses behave differently, there are certain characteristics in which they are similar to each other. Perhaps because of this similarity, immune cells can recognize it and fight off the virus as soon as the body is exposed so that the individual does not catch Covid-19.
This can spark debate. We all know how skewed Covid-19 testing can be. Under-testing has come to the attention of health experts and scientists and is said to hinder research studies of the infection.
Under-testg can be of serious concern because it is by far the only way to differentiate between symptomatic and asymptomatic individuals.
Many asymptomatic people don’t get tested because they don’t show disease, so they may see themselves as “someone with strong immunity” but are actually contributing to the spread of the infection as much as the infected.
Genetic factor
Genetic factors play a role in determining a person’s susceptibility to Covid-19. Studies have found that the link between genetics and the immune system and Covid-19 infection is also important to understand.
Researchers say that the behavior of human leukocyte antigens determines a person’s response to Covid-19.
“The key gene that controls your immune response is called the human leukocyte antigen or HLA gene. They are important for determining your response when you encounter SARS-CoV-2. For example, people with the HLA-DRB1*1302 gene are significantly more likely to develop symptomatic infection,” said Danny Altmann, professor of immunology at Imperial College London.
What if you were just lucky so far. The possibility of remaining virus-free in the future can be ruled out given the emerging variants and the new wave of infections.
So far, vaccination is only the most effective protection against the virus.
To protect against the virus, a person definitely needs to be vaccinated. Not only vaccinations, one should also get timely preventative doses or booster shots.
Could it be that these people did not catch the infection during the first wave and because of the early vaccination, their bodies developed immunity that is difficult to attack the virus? This could be a possibility.
To explain the possible reasons behind why many do not catch Covid-19, experts say that cross-reactive immunity and vaccines are beneficial for these people.
“Certainly cross-reactive immunity from previous infection with the common cold coronavirus is likely to be a major contributor, especially as these individuals may have the added immune benefit of having also been vaccinated,” said Lawrence Young, a professor of molecular oncology at the University of Warwick.
Source: JIBI/Bisnis.com
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