2024-01-20 21:22:30
A study carried out in South Korea shows evidence that human immune responses evolve to combat new variants of the coronavirus.
According to researchers from the Center for Viral Immunology at the Virus Research Institute, people infected by Ômicron acquire improved immunity against new versions of it, making it unlikely that they will develop serious symptoms with infections caused by future emerging variants.
In a study published in the journal Science Immunology, on January 12, scientists state that memory T cells that form after infection with the Ômicron variant respond better against subsequent strains of the virus.
“This discovery gives us perspectives in the new era of endemic Covid. It can be understood that, in response to the constant emergence of new virus variants, our bodies have also adapted to combat future strains of it”, explains researcher Jung Min Kyung, leader of the research.
The emergence of the Ômicron variant, at the end of 2021, changed the course of the pandemic. The new mutations found in it made it possible to increase the transmissibility of the virus, making it quickly dominant throughout the world. Since then, we have only lived with subvariants descended from it (including BA.1 and BA2, BA.4/BA.5, BQ.1, XBB and, more recently, JN.1).
The characteristics of the virus have become so distinct that some scientists call it Sars-CoV-3 and defend the idea of the pandemic being divided into two moments: before and after the emergence of the Ômicron variant.
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With around 50 mutations and present in more than 140 countries, Ômicron is considered the most infectious variant and has been responsible for the third wave of Covid in the world Getty Images
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Regarding the virulence of the strain, data is limited, but suggests that it may be less severe than Delta, for example. However, although less serious, the fact that the variant spreads faster has overwhelmed health systems Andriy Onufriyenko/ Getty Images
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Therefore, knowing how to identify the main symptoms of the disease is necessary to ensure the health of yourself and those you love Pixabay
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Fever, constant pain in the head and throat, chills, cough, difficulty breathing and increased heart rate in children are some of the symptoms identified by researchers in people infected by Ômicron
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In addition to these symptoms, it is important to be suspicious of Covid-19 infection if it presents fatigue — identified in studies as an early sign of infection by the Ômicron variant and which has been confused with other conditions Hinterhaus Productions/ Getty Images
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Muscle aches all over the body is also common. It’s a sign that the body is trying to fight the virus Paul Bradbury/Getty Images
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Loss of appetite may appear. Studies indicate that this is a recurring symptom among patients infected with the Delta and Ômicron variants DjelicS/ Getty Images
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Abdominal pain, diarrhea, nausea or vomiting are other symptoms that may appear. boonchai wedmakawand/ Getty Images
Back Progress 0 Protection against Ômicron variant
After being infected or vaccinated, the body creates neutralizing antibodies and memory T cells against the virus. The neutralizing antibody prevents host cells from becoming infected when they come into contact with the virus. Memory T cells seek out and destroy infected cells, preventing the viral infection from developing into a serious disease.
Most studies on Covid-19 focus their attention mainly on the effectiveness of the vaccine or neutralizing antibodies.
To study T cells, Professor Shin Eui-Cheol’s team evaluated blood samples from patients who suffered infection with the BA.2 suvariant in early 2022.
The results showed that memory T cells from these patients showed an increased response not only against the BA.2 strain, but also against the BA.4 and BA.5 strains, which emerged later.
The researchers discovered that, upon suffering an infection with the Ômicron variant, the patient’s immune system was strengthened to combat future strains of the same virus.
A specific part of the spike protein — responsible for binding the virus to human cells — would be the main cause of the increase in memory T cells.
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