Human coronavirus immunity is widespread but weak

Embargoed until: Publicly released: 2021-03-18 05:00

Australia; VIC

CC-0

Australian researchers say most of us have some background immunity to coronaviruses that infect humans, but that immunity is weak. They tested the immune responses of 42 people who had not had COVID-19, and found around half had an immune response when exposed to coronavirus spike antigens - substances that cause the immune system to produce antibodies. The findings provide a preview of how long-term immunity may be established in the population following vaccination programs or widespread infection, they say.

Attachments

Note: Not all attachments are visible to the general public. Research URLs will go live after the embargo ends.

Research Wiley-Blackwell, Web page The URL will go live after the embargo ends

Journal/
conference: Clinical & Translational Immunology

Research:Paper

Organisation/s: The University of Melbourne, Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, Monash University

Funder: Funding for this work was provided by the Victorian Government, a Doherty Collaborative Research Award (JJ), the ARC Centre of Excellence in Convergent Bio-Nano Science and Technology (SJK), an NHMRC Program Grant APP1149990 (SJK), and philanthropic support from the Paul Ramsay Foundation (SJK and AKW). AKW is funded by an NHMRC Investigator Grant. JAJ and SJK are funded by NHMRC fellowships.

Media Contact/s

Contact details are only visible to registered journalists.