Study finds that body’s defenses against cold may help to prevent Covid
Researchers believe that some of the body’s defenses could be used to prevent the Covid-19 virus from infecting the body.
A small study showed that people with high levels T cells, which are produced after infection with coronaviruses like the common cold, were less likely than others to contract Covid-19.
However, the authors stated that vaccination is the best way to protect yourself against Covid-19.
Experts at Imperial College London conducted the new study to determine why certain people don’t get Covid-19 despite having been in close contact with the virus.
Dr Rhia Kundu, first author of the study, from Imperial’s National Heart & Lung Institute, said: “Being exposed to the Sars-CoV-2 virus doesn’t always result in infection, and we’ve been keen to understand why.
“We discovered that Covid-19 infection can be prevented by high levels of T cells in the body, which are created when the body is infected with other coronaviruses, such as the common cold.
“While this is an important discovery, it is only one form of protection, and I would stress that no one should rely on this alone. Instead, the best way to protect yourself against Covid-19 is to be fully vaccinated, including getting your booster dose.”