A provocative study indicates that some colds may leave antibodies against the new coronavirus, and may explain why children are more protective than adults
This has been a big mystery to the epidemic: Why are children less likely to contract the new coronavirus than adults, and if they do, less likely to get sick?
The likely reason may be that many children already have antibodies to other coronaviruses, according to researchers at the Francis Crick Institute in London. About one in five of the common cold that affects children is caused by viruses in this family. Antibodies to those viruses may also inhibit them. SARS-CoV-2, the new coronavirus that is causing the pandemic
In a study published Friday in Science, the group, led by George Cassiotis, head of the institute’s viral immunology laboratory, reported that only 5 percent of adults had these antibodies on average, but 43 percent of children did
The discovery aroused the interest of researchers who did not participate in the study. It was described by Benjamin Laarmann, an immunologist at Johns Hopkins University’s School of Medicine, as « an elaborate study that provides a compelling theory supported by their data. »
Stephen J.Eledge, professor of genetics at Harvard Medical School and Brigham and Women’s Hospital, had a similar response and he and others found that many people have antibodies to the common cold caused by other coronaviruses. In laboratory studies, these antibodies also block the new coronavirus
In March, as the epidemic was just beginning, Cassiotis and his colleagues decided to develop a hypersensitive antibody test to assess this. They examined blood samples taken before the epidemic from more than 300 adults and 48 children and adolescents, and compared them with samples from more than 170 people. They were infected with the new Corona virus
Scientists expected that the samples taken before the epidemic did not contain antibodies that attack the new Corona virus. These were the controls for the test developed by the scientists
Instead, they discovered that many children and some adults carry one antibody in particular that can prevent corona viruses, including the new, from entering cells. This antibody attaches itself to an altitude exiting the Coronavirus
While the head of the spike is unique to the new corona virus, the base is present in all corona viruses, d Cassiots said in laboratory tests, antibodies to the base of the spike prevented the new coronavirus from entering cells for reproduction
The researchers now plan to expand their study to monitor thousands of children and adults. Some contain antibodies that can prevent the novel coronavirus in laboratory tests. Others do not.
« If they have the epidemic strain, are they protected? » Doctor Qassisot asked and asked, will they get sick, or will the infection be undetectable?
D. Eledge and his colleagues at Harvard University have developed a highly specific, sensitive and comprehensive antibody test, VirScan. It is able to detect a variety of antibodies that are directed to more than 800 locations on the new coronavirus, including the antibody used by D. Qcssotis and colleagues studied
After examining blood from 190 people prior to the onset of the epidemic, Eledge and colleagues concluded that many people do indeed have antibodies, including those targeting the base of the spike – most likely from infection with the related coronaviruses that cause the common cold.
But while adults may catch a cold or a cold annually, Dr. Eledge said, children may get up to ten as a result of that, and many are infected with floods of antibodies to the Coronavirus that are almost constantly present; It may reduce cold symptoms, or even leave children with colds that have no symptoms but are still contagious.
While adults may not have antibodies to the coronavirus that can be detected, many may be able to form antibodies quickly if they are infected with the Coronavirus
In typical viral infections, the immune system sends out antibodies to fight the virus. When the infection is suppressed, the antibodies are no longer needed, their number decreases, but the body is left with so-called memory cells that allow antibody production to rise rapidly if the virus attempts to invade Again
So why do we have a pandemic? Shouldn’t most of us be protected by memory cells left over from another coronavirus infection?
“It is very likely that you will lose your memory over time,” Dr. Ellig said and suspected the new coronavirus may interfere with the activation of memory cells that are able to respond to infection
He said that the infection « may give you a blurry memory that fades over time. » If this is the case, then a very recent infection with the cold coronavirus will be needed to protect against the new Corona virus, and even in this case, the protection may only last for a limited time
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The new Corona virus could have impeded the production of the antibodies that specifically attack it This may explain why children who suffer from seemingly persistent colds are better off than adults
Dr. Eledge said that if he is right about memory cell loss, that bodes well for vaccines. The vaccine boosts antibody production without a virus and said the virus is « not in the background, which corrupts the formation of memory cells »
Another possibility is that most adults are already protected with memory cells from previous colds, although very few of them have enough antibodies in their blood to protect them at any given time. They may be able to quickly create antibodies to reduce the impact of the new Corona virus.
“We focus on those who are really sick, but 95 to 98 percent of those infected with the virus do not have to go to hospital,” Dr. “There are a lot of people who are getting better,” Ellig said
It happened to Dr. Larman and his family of five, four of whom contracted Covid-19, the disease caused by the new Coronavirus, in July none of them had a serious illness, and his 4-year-old son was completely saved
“My son has not been isolated from us and is therefore severely exposed,” Dr. Laarmann said, “He has tested negative twice, so we definitely suspect he has some form of preexisting immunity.”
Corona virus, an antibody
World News – Britain – Children have never been infected with Coronavirus So why do they have antibodies?
