New research: Exposure to harmless coronaviruses boosts SARS-CoV-2 immunity

Combining these analyses with computer-based models, the team precisely predicted how well the antibodies would bind to and neutralise invading viruses, the University of Zurich said in a press release.

People who caught SARS-CoV-2 had lower levels of antibodies against coronaviruses that cause common colds compared to uninfected people. In addition, people with high levels of antibodies against harmless coronaviruses were less likely to have been hospitalised after catching SARS-CoV-2.

The stronger the antibody response to other coronaviruses, the stronger the resistance to SARS-CoV-2. (University of Zurich)

“… Someone who has gained immunity to harmless coronaviruses is also better protected against severe SARS-CoV-2 infections,” the release quoted Alexandra Trkola, head of the Institute of Medical Virology at the University of Zurich, as saying.

STUDY: Irene A. Abela, Chloé Pasin, Magdalena Schwarzmuller et al, ‘Multifactorial seroprofiling dissects the contribution of pre-existing human coronaviruses responses to SARS-CoV-2 immunity’, Nature Communications.

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-021-27040-x

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