A study found that catching a cold can build immunity against COVID-19. However, he pointed out that not everyone who catches a cold automatically becomes immune to COVID-19, and the importance of a vaccine is still great.
The BBC reported on the 10th (local time) that researchers at Imperial College London, citing a paper published in the academic journal Nature Communications, said, “If you have a cold and have immune memory, it can help prevent COVID-19.”
In September 2020, the research team investigated whether or not they were infected with COVID-19 and the level of T-cells, which are immune cells caused by the existing cold, in 52 people who were not vaccinated and whose cohabitation was just confirmed. At the time, half of them were uninfected and uninfected, and a third of them had high levels of specific memory T cells in their blood. These T cells are most likely caused by another coronavirus infection, such as a cold. Some of the T cells are known to play a role in defending against these viruses, allowing them to remain in the body even if the pathogen disappears, allowing them to defend themselves the next time they encounter a similar virus.
The researchers said that in addition to immunity from a cold, ventilation and the infectiousness of people living together can also be variables. “We wondered why some people don’t get infected when they are exposed to the coronavirus,” they said.
However, the researchers pointed out that it would be a serious mistake to think that everyone with a cold will automatically become immune to COVID-19. This is because only 10 to 15% of colds are caused by coronavirus. He stressed that no one should rely solely on this type of defense and that vaccines are still key.
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