New Delhi (NVI): A new study has found that T cells, a type of white blood cell plays a bigger role than antibodies, in protecting the body against coronavirus infection.
The findings published in the journal Cell, indicate that both T Cells and the antibodies have a coordinated response against Covid but the T cells play a larger role in fighting the infection.
As per the study, vaccine candidates should aim to elicit a broad immune response that includes antibodies as well as T cells to ensure immunity against Covid-19.
This also explains why older Covid-19 patients are more vulnerable to the infection as the number of T-cells declines with ageing the body’s immune response becomes less coordinated.
The researchers from La Jolla Institute for Immunology in the US, who did the study, collected blood samples from 50 Covid-19 patients and analysed SARS-CoV-2 specific antibodies as well as T cells.
They found that a strong SARS-CoV-2 specific T cell response was predictive of milder infection. The findings indicate that T cells are more important in the body’s fight against Covid-19.
Apart from that, another study finds that conditions linked to obesity also make people more susceptible to Covid-19.
