If you have COVID-19 you won’t catch a cold?

Scientists from the Scripps Research Institute in La Jolla, California (USA) said that because the viruses in the corona family have relatively similar spike proteins, the immune system’s antibodies against the protein. The spikes of one virus in this family are also able to recognize spike proteins in other coronavirus strains.

This suggests that previous exposure to SARS-CoV-2 may help protect against other coronavirus strains, including those that cause colds.

Reportedly, the research team took blood samples from 11 people to check for antibodies in the serum – proteins that help fight infection. In which, 8 samples were collected before the pandemic and 3 samples were taken from people who had been infected COVID-19 recently.

The researchers tested how the samples responded to spike proteins isolated from different coronavirus strains, OC43 and HKU1. Both strains are related to the common cold, SARS-CoV-2 and SARS-CoV-1 cause acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), and MERS-CoV causes Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS). .

According to the study results, only serum antibodies from COVID-19 patients react with spike proteins from SARS-CoV-2. They are also more reactive than antibody samples collected before the pandemic to the spike proteins of common cold viruses as well as other coronaviruses.

Study co-author Sandhya Bangaru said:Most people have basic immunity to common coronaviruses. Exposure to SARS-CoV-2 will increase these antibodies.”

Professor Andrew Ward, the study’s author, said the study could contribute to the development of different types of animals vaccines better.

“A better understanding of how immunity against the coronavirus family changes during COVID-19 infection is an important step towards developing more effective vaccines against both COVID-19 and related pathogens in the future. hybrid”, Mr. Ward said.