Could Pre-Existing Immunity to SARS-CoV-2 Affect COVID-19 Disease Severity or Vaccine Efficacy? | Virus World | Scoop.it

T cell reactivity against SARS-CoV-2 was observed in unexposed people; however, the source and clinical relevance of the reactivity remains unknown. It is speculated that this reflects T cell memory to circulating ‘common cold’ coronaviruses.

 

It will be important to define specificities of these T cells and assess their association with COVID-19 disease severity and vaccine responses. Recent studies have shown T cell reactivity to SARS-CoV-2 in 20–50% of unexposed individuals; it is speculated that this is due to T cell memory to common cold coronaviruses. Here, Crotty and Sette discuss the potential implications of these findings for disease severity, herd immunity and vaccine development....

 

Original review Published in Nature (July 7, 2020):

https://doi.org/10.1038/s41577-020-0389-z