The common cold is a type of coronavirus, health experts say, so can it prevent you from getting COVID-19 or a severe case of novel coronavirus? Although the researchers cautioned it is too premature to tell, they did find that certain cells in the human body — “memory T cells” — that recognize common cold coronaviruses can also recognize COVID-19 in some people. The researchers at La Jolla Institute for Immunology (LJI) investigated memory T cells, which are part of our immune system. Their findings showed that participants not exposed to COVID-19 can produce memory T cells that are equally reactive against SARS-CoV-2 and four other common cold coronaviruses. “We have now proven that, in some people, pre-existing T cell memory against common cold coronaviruses can cross-recognize SARS-CoV-2, down to exact molecular structures,” Weiskopf, an LJI research assistant professor, stated in the release.

Source: Fox News August 17, 2020 15:33 UTC