Many may be immune to Coronavirus

New research suggests that many may have built an immunity to the coronavirus even though they have never been infected.

– The simple explanation for the fact that many of us do not get sick is that we are partially immune, says Professor Ludvig A. Munthe, who heads a research team in immunology at Oslo University Hospital (OUS), to VG.

The results from the research project he is leading have not yet been published, but Munthe believes that there will now be a landslide of research articles in this area.

Researchers now believe that many already in childhood have formed a usable immunity. This may be the reason why many do not become infected or become particularly ill, despite the fact that SARS-CoV-2 is a completely new virus.

– The point is that there are commonalities between this virus and the seasonal coronavirus that most of us are already immune to, says Munthe.

There are already four common types of coronavirus that cause flu-like illness, which most people become immune to after the first few years of life. It is this immunity that makes many, especially the younger generations, resistant to the new coronavirus, researchers believe.

“Unfortunately, the immune system’s memory fades over the years, and that is probably why more of the elderly have less to contend with against the coronavirus,” says Munthe.

© NTB Scanpix / #Norway Today