According to a new study, high levels of T-cells generated by the body in response to the common cold may aid in protection against serious illness from COVID-19.
Researchers at Imperial College London found that this information could help scientists create second-generation vaccines that are more effective against new strains of the virus.
The study began in September of 2020 and evaluated cross-reactive T-cells generated by previous common colds in 52 household contacts of people who had tested positive for COVID-19. It examined whether or not they went on to develop an infection. The study showed that 26 people did not contract the virus and had significantly higher T-cell levels than those who subsequently tested positive.
“We found that high levels of pre-existing T-cells, created by the body when infected with other human coronaviruses like the common cold, can protect against COVID-19 infection,” one of the study authors, Dr. Rhia Kundu, said.
The researchers said that the internal proteins of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, which are targeted by the T-cells, could offer an alternative target for vaccine manufacturers. Currently, coronavirus vaccines target the spike protein. However, the spike protein mutates regularly and can result in less effective vaccines.
“In contrast, the internal proteins targeted by the protective T-cells we identified mutate much less,” said co-author Professor Ajit Lalvani.
Some downsides to the study, which was peer-reviewed and published in the journal Nature Communications, are its small sample size and lack of diversity. More than 85 percent of the participants were of white European ethnicity.
Kundu recommends getting fully vaccinated and getting a booster dose of the vaccines currently available as the best way to protect against COVID.
