Information about immunity to SARS-CoV-2, both in the context of COVID-19 disease pathogenesis and in the context of how to develop a good vaccine, remains limited. But developing a vaccine and predicting how the coronavirus pandemic will unfold until such a vaccine is available are both contingent upon the understanding of whether the immune system can mount a substantial and lasting response to SARS-CoV-2 and whether exposure to other, common, circulating coronaviruses provides any kind of protective immunity.
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[One] study documents a robust antiviral immune response to SARS-CoV-2 in a group of 20 adults who had recovered from COVID-19. The findings show that the body’s immune system is able to recognize SARS-CoV-2 in many ways, dispelling fears that the virus may elude ongoing efforts to create an effective vaccine.The findings are “good news”, tweeted Crotty, for “coronavirus vaccine development, understanding disease, and even modeling the future course of the pandemic.”
They also showed that 100% of COVID-19 cases made antibodies and CD4 T cells. Also, 70% of COVID-19 cases made measurable CD8 T cells. “Our data show that the virus induces what you would expect from a typical, successful antiviral response,” said [researcher Shane] Crotty.
