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After months of uncertain speculation, researchers have reported their strongest evidence yet that patients recovered from thecoronavirushave a stronger, faster immune response if theyre exposed a second time. These new findings indicated that SARS-CoV-2antibodies may linger beyond six months of initial infection, and they promote a more effective anti-viral response than that of those who have not caught the coronavirus. It may explain why reinfections have been so rare. Its very good news, said Michel Nussenzweig, head of molecular immunology at Rockefeller University in Manhattan and a senior author of apre-published studyon open-source research site BioRxiv. The expectation is that people should be able to produce a rapid antibody response and resist infection in a large number of cases, hetold the Guardian. Scientists call this the immune systems memory, supported by its T- and B-cell anti-viral militias. The two immune cell types work together in their efforts to produce antibodies in the blood, then suppress and kill SARS-CoV-2, the new coronavirus that causes COVID-19. More specifically, T-cells lead the attack against the virus directly by annihilating infected cells, while B-cells analyze the virus in order to produce antibodies, which gather and trap invaders. Finally, macrophages, yet another critical immune cell, would then come to clean up the mess. MAGIC MUSHROOMS COULD HELP TREAT DEPRESSION, STUDY FINDSOnce contained, the immune system stores memory T- and B-cells, which have since developed defenses against the coronavirus especially. If COVID-19 should return, theyll be let loose to fight the virus again. The Rockefeller study included 87 patients with COVID-19, who were tested for antibodies just after one month and again at around six months, by which time their defenses had fallen to only about 20% compared to patients peak levels. However, researchers are less concerned with
