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A study published in the International Journal of Infectious Diseases has found that people who had been exposed to other human coronavirus (HCoVs) had less severe COVID-19 infections. The study of 60 COVID-19 patients in Germany revealed that people who were critically ill with COVID-19 had lower levels of antibodies to other seasonal HCoVs, such as OC43 and HKU1. The authors suggest this may be due to earlier exposure to coronaviruses helping to “facilitates T-cell based immune response to SARS CoV-2”, the virus which causes COVID-19. More research into the area is needed.
A second (not yet peer reviewed) study published on MedRxiv has found similar results, that people with asymptomatic COVID-19 infections had higher levels of antibodies to HCoVs that those who developed COVID-19 symptoms. Their study was conducted on over 500 people in Spain who were followed for up to 7 months post COVID-19 infection. They conclude “pre-existing cross-reactive HCoVs antibodies could have a protective effect against SARS-CoV-2 infection and COVID-19 disease.”
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