Catching a cold protects against COVID-19, new research finds

By Mark Waghorn via SWNS

Catching a cold protects against COVID-19, according to new research and could be why some people avoid getting the disease.

The discovery provides a blueprint for a second-generation, universal vaccine that would combat current and future variants - including Omicron.

Scientists found a cold triggers specific immune cells that reduce the risk of infection.

The study was based on 52 Britons exposed toCOVID-19 - half of whom developedCOVID-19.

Those who did not had more T cells - the body's immune memory cells which were induced by other coronaviruses - such as the common cold.

"Being exposed to the SARS-CoV-2 virus doesn't always result in infection - and we've been keen to understand why,"said first author Dr. Rhia Kundu, of Imperial College London.

"We found high levels of pre-existing T cells, created by the body when infected with other human coronaviruses like the common cold, can protect againstCOVID-19 infection."

Participants lived with someone with PCR-confirmed SARS-CoV-2 - the virus that causes COVID-19.

They were tested at the outset and four and seven days later to determine if they developed an infection.

Blood samples were also taken to measure pre-existing T cells that also cross-recognize COVID-19 proteins.

There were significantly more in the 26 who did not become infected compared to the 26 who did.

Importantly, the immune cells attack internal proteins within the virus.

It offers a more effective vaccine target that could provide long-lasting protection

The researchers explained T cell responses persist longer than antibodies which wane within a few months.

Current vaccines only destroy the virus' spike protein on the surface.

"Our study provides the clearest evidence to date T cells induced by common cold coronaviruses play a protective role against SARS-CoV-2 infection,"said senior author Professor Ajit Lalvani, also from Imperial.

"These T cells provide protection by attacking proteins within the virus, rather than the spike protein on its surface.

"The spike protein is under intense immune pressure from vaccine-induced antibody which drives evolution of vaccine escape mutants.

"In contrast, the internal proteins targeted by the protective T cells we identified mutate much less.

"Consequently, they are highly conserved between the various SARS-CoV-2 variants, including omicron.

"New vaccines that include these conserved, internal proteins would therefore induce broadly protective T cell responses that should protect against current and future SARS-CoV-2 variants.”

Designing vaccines able to activate T cells would stop COVID-19 far earlier if 'replication proteins' in its internal system can be disabled.

This would be a different approach - offering an additional layer of protection than other jabs.

"While this is an important discovery, it is only one form of protection. I would stress no one should rely on this alone,"Kundu said.

"Instead the best way to protect yourself against COVID-19 is to be fully vaccinated - including getting your booster dose."

The study in Nature Communications began in September 2020 when most people in the UK had neither been infected nor vaccinated.