Less Intense Covid 19 Infections May Prevent From Severity

The study, published in the journal Nature Communications, found that people infected with Covid had fewer antibodies to the coronavirus, which causes colds, than people who were not infected.

In addition, people with high levels of antibodies to harmless coronaviruses are less likely to be hospitalized after a Covid infection.

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The study shows that strong antibody reactions to human coronaviruses increase antibody levels to SARS-CoV-2. Anyone who has acquired immunity to a harmless coronavirus is better protected from severe SARS-CoV-2 infection,” said Alexandra Trkola, head of the Institute of Medical Virology at the University of Zurich (UZH).

This type of immune response is known as cross-reactivity and also occurs with the T-cell response, an additional pathway of the immune system to protect against infection.

In the study, the team used a specially designed assay to analyze the levels of antibodies to four other human coronaviruses in 825 serum samples taken before the emergence of Covid. They also tested 389 samples from donors infected with Covid. By combining this assay with a computer-based model, the team was able to predict exactly how well the antibodies would bind to the invading virus and neutralize it.

People receive full protection from Covid as soon as they recover from infection or effective vaccinations. Then the level of antibodies to the virus is still very high. As these values ​​decrease over time, infection is no longer prevented, but immune memory rapidly reactivates body defenses, antibody production, and T-cell defenses.