New research: Common coronavirus colds reduce the risk of COVID-19 infection

According to foreign media reports, a Study in the United Kingdom shows that when infected with other coronaviruses that spread among humans, the high levels of T cells produced by the human body can play a protective role and reduce people's risk of contracting the new coronavirus.

On Jan. 10, a study published in Nature Communications by a team of researchers at Imperial College London showed that subjects were exposed to the coronavirus but were not infected because higher levels of T cells against the common coronavirus cold were found in their bodies.

The team reportedly wants to better understand why some people get infected after exposure to the coronavirus and others don't. They focused their research on T cells, a key part of the human immune system, to try to explore whether the T-cell immunity produced by a coronavirus might help fight the new coronavirus.

Infographic. Human T cells attack the internal proteins of the virus to prevent infection.

The study began in September 2020 with family contacts of COVID-19-positive cases who were not vaccinated. 52 people participated in the 28-day study, taking blood samples within 1-6 days of their exposure to the coronavirus. The researchers found that cross-reactive T cell levels were significantly higher in the 26 uninfected participants compared to the 26 participants infected with COVID-19.

"The high levels of T cells produced by the human body after contracting other coronaviruses, such as the common cold, can prevent them from contracting the new coronavirus." Research leader Dr. Raya Quindu said. But Dr Simon Clarke of the University of Reading warns that doesn't mean cold sufferers aren't infected with COVID-19, "because not all colds are caused by coronaviruses, which account for only 10-15% of cold cases." ”

Although the team did not specify how long T cells can provide protection, the ability of T cells to fight infection weakens over time. So, while natural immunity from a cold provides some defense protection, the best way to protect yourself from COVID-19 infection is still to be fully vaccinated, including injections of booster needles.

Experts say the results show how the body's immune system fights the virus, further demonstrating the protective effects of T cells. Because T cells prevent infection by attacking proteins within the virus rather than spike proteins on their surface, this could help develop a T cell-targeted COVID-19 vaccine that targets the viral core protein.

According to reports, the current COVID-19 vaccine targets the spike protein on the surface of the virus, but because the spike protein is prone to mutation, it produces variants such as Delta and Omikejong, resulting in a reduction in the effectiveness of the vaccine.

"Under the intense immune pressure of vaccine-induced antibodies, the virus evolved into variants with more mutations to make it easier to escape vaccine protection. The possibility of mutations in the proteins inside the virus is much less likely, for example, Omilon has a large number of mutations in the spike protein, but the internal proteins are relatively unchanged. "New vaccines against the core protein of the virus can thus be developed to induce a broader, long-lasting T cell response to prevent infections caused by current and future COVID-19 variants." ”

Red Star News reporter Wang Yalin intern reporter Ding Wen

Edited by Zhang Xun

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