Thursday, October 29, 2020 in Orlando, FL. Orange County Health Services at Barnett Park applies a medical professional nasal swab during testing at the Covid-19 drive-through site.
JB Burbank | Tribune News Service | Getty Images
Cellular or “T-cell” immunity against Covid-19 is likely to be present in most adults six months after the primary infection, a new study has found.
Research by the UK Coronavirus Immunology Consortium (UK-CIC), Public Health England and the Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust found a “strong T-cell response” to the coronavirus six months after infection.
T-cells are a part of our immune system that attacks cells that have been infected with viruses or other types of pathogens and helps other immune-producing cells. Scientists have examined T-cell responses to coronavirus to see how long an immune response can last in individuals caught and recovered from Covid-1.
This recent study looked at 100 individuals who tested positive for coronavirus in March and April 2020, but were not hospitalized with the virus. All 100 individuals experienced mild or moderate symptoms or were asymptomatic (44 vs. 44 people), the study noted.
Menstrual serum samples were taken to measure antibody levels, and blood samples were taken six months later to evaluate the cellular (T-cell) response to the virus.
Several analyzes were performed to assess the different aspects of the T-cell response, including response intensity and response to different proteins from the virus, the study noted.
Six months after SARS-Covi-2 infection, T-cell responses were present in all individuals, he said, adding that “strong cellular memory against the virus persists for at least six months.”
However, the study found that “the size of the T-cell response varies between individuals, significantly higher (50%) in people who have experienced a pathological disease six months before the time of infection.” The study has not yet been published or peer-reviewed.
Part of the Covid-19 puzzle
The findings could improve our understanding of how immunity to coronavirus works, as well as provide information on future vaccine strategies, the study – written by public health England consultant epidemiologist Dr Shameez Ladhani – noted.
“Cellular immunity is a complex but potentially very significant part of the Covid-19 puzzle, and more research is needed in this area. However, preliminary results show that T-cell responses can trigger the initial antibody response, which may be Significant impact on covid vaccine development and immune research. “
The study notes that further research is now needed to assess whether this immune response is sustained over a long period of time and to better understand how it corresponds to the possibility of reorganizing the strength of the cellular immune response.
Paul Moss, a professor at the UK Coronavirus Immunology Consortium Lead at the University of Birmingham, said further action is needed to find out if people with Covid-19 symptoms are safe from future reassessment.
“Interestingly, we have found that cellular immunity is stronger in those people than in asymptomatic cases. Compared to pathological infection cases, there was a pathological infection. We need more research to find out. “
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