A new report has suggested that interferons can prevent children from contracting the coronavirus.
Immunologist Professor Luke O’Neill says children’s immune systems begin to attack the virus as soon as it enters their body.
He told Pat Kenny younger children have better responses.
“We know that children don’t get sick, they get very mild disease, they’re usually asymptomatic – and the big question is why.”
He said it is very hard to detect viruses in children using PCR tests: “The fact that you can’t pick up viruses means they have suburb immune systems, they absolutely serilise themselves from this virus.
“And the most sensitive of all PCR tests cannot pick the virus up: so that confirms that what children have is a spectacular immune system against the virus”.
He said a recent study examined three infected children in a household, and found that the virus could not be detected.
“All they ever found was anti-bodies – so in other words as soon as the virus was in their body their immune system kicked in, made anti-bodies and eliminated the virus almost instantaneously”.
