There are those who have had the whole family positive, yet never results in a molecular or rapid test? Maybe he did it too early or too late? Yet with the simplicity of home or pharmacy testing, it is difficult to escape a diagnosis from Sars-CoV-2. The Guardian he put together some hypotheses so, after two years of a pandemic and a continuously increasing contagiousness from variant to variant, there are those who managed not to take it. The latest variant identified, Xe, would in fact have a transmission advantage ranging from 12.6% to 20.9% compared to Omicron 2, at least according to estimates from the United Kingdom, aspects that would make it the sub-variant of BA.1 more transmissible to the state of the current knowledge. The British newspaper asked Zania Stamatakilecturer and researcher in viral immunology at the University of Birmingham.
If the first explanation – very complex but still possible – is that the person never came into contact with the virus, the second is that he actually encountered the pathogen at some point but was eliminated before developing any form of related Covid-19 syndrome. It would therefore be a case of abortive infection. Which is not exactly superimposable to the well-known form asymptomatic which may have stimulated the production of antibodies and T lymphocytes, perhaps at the beginning of the pandemic, so as to guarantee a certain level of protection also in the following months (although cases of reinfection both post vaccine and post infection are widely reported).
In general, scientists believe those who can clear the virus quickly – whether it’s an abortive infection, an asymptomatic one, or a short period of positivity with mild symptoms – may have cross-reactive memory T cellsthat is, produced in the past in response to similar coronaviruses that cause common forms of colds and indeed also effective against Sars-CoV-2, which it would be more frequent in young people with a lower presence of cells of this kind in the elderly. In particular, these T lymphocytes would affect chains of protein molecules that make up less variable parts of the virus than the very mutable Spike.
As we have seen on several occasions, the immune system acts and responds differently between people. In some cases there may be changes in Ace2 levels, proteins present on the surface of cells to which the virus binds to penetrate and reproduce. In the past, for example, we had investigated the role of innate immunity, the first level of protection against pathogens, in the defense against the onset of severe forms of Covid-19. Two studies focused on some important mechanisms, in particular the role of an ancestor molecule of antibodies (Mbl, Mannose binding lectin) and of interferon in contrasting severe forms of the disease. Even before the infection, it is incidentally possible that some people have rare types of Ace2 capable of affecting susceptibility to Sars-CoV-2. This different protein expression is called polymorphism and we have seen in the past how, for example, a rare phenomenon of this type for the CCR5 protein, present on the leukocyte membrane and involved in the immune system as a receptor for chemokines, has yielded immunity with respect to infection by HIV.
Other stories of Vanity Fair that may interest you
What it means to have innate immunity and why it is essential against Covid-19
The recombinant Xe: what we know about the new Omicron variant discovered in the UK
Source: Vanity Fair
Donald-43Westbrook, a distinguished contributor at worldstockmarket, is celebrated for his exceptional prowess in article writing. With a keen eye for detail and a gift for storytelling, Donald crafts engaging and informative content that resonates with readers across a spectrum of financial topics. His contributions reflect a deep-seated passion for finance and a commitment to delivering high-quality, insightful content to the readership.
