Immunity

SARS-CoV-2 belongs to the family of coronaviruses. This family comprises two other viruses highly pathogenic to humans (SARS-CoV and MERS-CoV) but also viruses causing benign illnesses in the community (such as colds). COVID-19 is a disease of variable clinical evolution: some people infected remain asymptomatic, while others have clinical signs such as fever, anosmia (loss […]

When infection by SARS-CoV-2 occurs, the genomic RNA of the virus is detected by RT-PCR in the nostrils, the pharynx and the nasopharynx, the bronchoalveolar areas, the blood and the stools. It can generally be detected from 3 to 46 days after the onset of symptoms, whereas  contagiousness begins 2 to 3 days before and […]

To understand the importance of the immune-memory, it’s necessary to first of all understand the stages of response of the organism to an infection. Several agents are involved in the immune response specific to the fight against the SARS-CoV-2: the antibodies, the B lymphocytes (LB), the T lymphocytes T (LT) CD8+ (or cytotoxic cells, which […]

The majority of people infected by SARS-CoV-2 show only moderate symptoms. However, a small fraction go on to develop severe forms, and some die as a result. The very rapid spread of COVID-19 and the impossibility of predicting the illness’ evolution are the main reasons for the overburdening of hospital services. Understanding the evolution of […]

COVID-19, brought about by the SARS-CoV-2 virus, produces very different levels of severity. It’s necessary to understand the types of immunity that this infection can engender, from asymptomatic cases to fatal infection. And how much time immunity can last, since antibody production during the initial infection generally has a determining effect on the probability of […]

A team of researchers recently tried to understand in detail the T-cell immune response to the virus. It must be remembered that the elimination of a virus by the organism requires an effective immune system response specifically directed against the viral proteins and orchestrated by the T-cells. There are 2 types of T-cells: The CD4+ […]