Business Insider by Aylin Woodward Aug 18, 2020,
We now have the best evidence yet that everyone develops long-term coronavirus immunity after infection — and it's not just about antibodies
• Some early studies have suggested that coronavirus antibodies fade relatively quickly, but that doesn't mean immunity vanishes.
• A new study found that all participants infected with COVID-19 — even those with asymptomatic or mild cases and patients who didn't have detectable antibodies — developed virus-specific T cells.
• T cells identify and kill infected cells, and B cells create new antibodies. Those cells can attack the virus if it ever returns.
• So the new finding is strong evidence that all patients likely develop long-term immunity.
Scientists may now have an answer to one of the most crucial lingering questions about COVID-19: whether people develop long-term immunity.
Early research suggested that coronavirus antibodies — blood proteins that protect the body from subsequent infections — could fade within months. But in their concern about those findings' implications, many people failed to consider our immune system's multilayered defense against invading pathogens.
Specifically, they discounted the role of white blood cells, which have impressive powers of recollection that can help your body mount another attack against the coronavirus should it ever return. Memory T cells are an especially key type, since they identify and destroy infected cells and inform B cells about how to craft new virus-targeting antibodies.
More:
https://www.businessinsider.com/long-term-coronavirus-immunity-t-cells-2020-8
