Besides all the early positive test results from multiple vaccine developers (Pfizer/BioNTech, Moderna/NIH, AstraZeneca/Oxford, AppliedDNA/Takis), which are making stocks soar once again, a new study shows 17 years of potential T cell immunity in SARS-infected patients!
The piece goes on to discuss the details of the peer-reviewed, published study, as well as it's positive implications for both those who've already gotten the virus and those who still may get it. In short, the researchers are looking at cross-immunities from other coronaviruses over the years. Testing further with more common forms of coronavirus, it looks like the majority had T cells that were reactive to SARS-CoV-2, even though they had no known exposure to the virus!God has a way of prepping the human body for potentially deadly viruses to somewhat mitigate the amount of death we’d otherwise suffer every year from all sorts of microbiological threats. COVID-19 is not different.
The latest research on T cells, white blood cells produced by the immune system to ward off infections through memory of past pathogens, show that even those patients who never develop antibodies or have lost them over time will retain T cell immunity that remembers to fight off coronaviruses in the future. Moreover, the study provides new evidence for the theory that herd immunity could be achieved at an approximately 20% infection rate for most cities, thanks to T cell cross-immunity from other coronaviruses.
The latest version of panic porn being propagated by the media is that many people don’t produce antibodies and that even more of those infected will lose them over time, potentially opening them up to reinfection.
Why we automatically assume the worst of this virus and base our response on the idea of this virus defying all known patterns remains a mystery, but this study from Singapore should place the onus on naysayers to show why this form of coronavirus would be different from others.
How can that be? A large portion of the population likely has at least partial cross-immunity through T cell memory cells induced by contracting one of those four common cold coronaviruses. This would explain why so many places seem to experience a burnout of the virus after it reaches only 15%-20% prevalence, according to serology tests. Yes, only 15%-20% have antibodies, but many more likely have cross-immunity through T cells, as Nobel laureate Michael Levitt, Oxford epidemiologist Sunetra Gupta, and Stanford Professor John Ioannidis predicted.A lot of positive news on viable treatment, vaccine development, antibodies and immunities, but just remember...
This harmonizes with a previous study from the La Joya Institute of Immunology in California that showed such cross-reactive responses in 40%-60% of random blood donors
This might also explain why so many people are found to be asymptomatic and possibly many more have had the virus asymptomatically but never tested positive for antibodies. ...
Also, the same reason why someone initially got the virus asymptomatically, likely because of T cell memory produced by cross-immunity, is the same reason they will continue to be free of symptoms in the future, even if they don’t possesses antibodies.
While we are still learning more about this virus and the human immune system response to it every day, these findings should make us optimistic in the long run, unless the media has made us immune to any good news.Ain't that the truth! Stay optimistic, America. Don't let'em keep ya down. It's our surefire way through this.
Related link: 'Panicmongers' ripped for inconsistency on COVID, flu
