COVID-19 variants: here’s how the vaccines still protect you

There seems to be more bad news every day about coronavirus variants.

There are headlines claiming that the variants are becoming more lethal, and stories warning that some variants of the vaccines could escape and keep us trapped in a never-ending pandemic. With each step forward – such as how millions of Americans are vaccinated daily – it feels like the variant is taking us two steps back.

A growing number of infectious disease experts now say the variant narrative got out of control. Yes, there are different variants in circulation, and it is true that some appear to be more transferable. Yes, we must continue to wear masks and protect ourselves and others until we get closer to the immunity of the flock. But there is no definitive evidence that any of the variants virulent, and there is currently no reason to think that the variants will make our vaccines completely useless, experts in infectious diseases believe.

Our immune systems are extremely complex, and even if some parts of the immune system do not respond so strongly to the variants after vaccination, it will not give us up so easily.

Much of the research on immunity to COVID-19 (which can be obtained through vaccination or natural infection) looked at antibodies. These little fighters follow the coronavirus and prevent it from binding to cells in our body and causing an infection. Some laboratory studies found that antibodies do not work so well on the variants of work, which has raised the fear that the vaccines may not keep us safe.

But antibodies do not tell the full story. When people say that antibody levels are dropping – and that COVID-19 protection is disappearing – it is completely wrong Jay Levy, a virologist and professor of medicine at the University of California, San Francisco.

The immune system is very complex, and besides antibodies, there is another aspect, known as the cell-mediated immune response, that is just as important, if not more so. This part helps to create something called T cells, which are crucial to prevent infections. The COVID-19 vaccines not only generate antibodies; it also requires that your immune system produce T cells.

“T cells are the main line of defense against the virus,” he said. Monica Gandhi, an infectious disease specialist at UCSF. T cells can identify many different parts of the coronavirus (some studies say up to 52 parts) and get rid of any cells that carry the virus. The cell-mediated immune response can also help our systems produce new antibodies if necessary. Mutations or not, T cells will still be able to detect the virus and jump into action. “Your immune response is very complex, very robust and very broad against various parts of the virus,” Gandhi said.

So, why do not we all talk about how amazing T cells are? It’s really hard to measure, Gandhi said, while measuring antibodies involves a simple blood test. But researchers has looked at the cell-mediated immune response in people who were vaccinated or had COVID-19, and the findings are exciting.

First, all the clinical trials of the vaccine found that participants produce strong T cell responses after vaccination, according to Gandhi. There are also testimony that the variants are unlikely to have a very significant effect on the immunity we derive from them fully vaccinated. Two recent studies found that the T cell response was not affected by variants, and another An article found that although some antibodies decreased against variants, our T cell response held up just fine.

Regarding COVID-19, a robust T-cell response is the difference between a mild infection and a serious illness, research shows. The cells may not always prevent an infection, but they may be able to clear them up quickly so that you do not get sick. If you are vaccinated, you do not have to worry – or if you do [get infected], that you will have any serious illness, ”Levy said.

From its occurrence, even if the antibody level decreases over time, T cells are likely to protect us from variants for a while, especially when it comes to serious diseases, according to Gandhi.

The coronavirus will have to change quite dramatically to escape the recognition of the cellular immune response completely and render our vaccines useless. “The cellular immune response appears to be a little more diverse, or a little more inclusive, so that it can absorb small, tiny changes that a variant can have and still handle,” Levy said.

The cell-mediated immune response may also have a long memory. Researchers evaluated the blood of people who had the SARS coronavirus in 2003 and found that their T cell immunity to 17 years. The T-cell response also holds in people who have been vaccinated against measles 34 years and tel.

COVID-19 is a little over a year old, but early testimony suggests that we will keep T cells, but it is unclear exactly how long. Some experts believe that we need end-to-end surveys, and scientists are already working on that. But given the durability of our cellular immunity, many experts think of infectious diseases that they, at least in the near future, strengthen will be unnecessary.

Researchers will continue to study how components of the immune system – antibodies, T cells and everything in between – deal with the coronavirus over time, but we know that the immune system is robust and durable when it comes to fighting viruses.

So if you are vaccinated, read a shiver next time heading over a variant, breathe and think of the T cells. “Know that the T cells work against the variants, and that you’re fine,” Gandhi said.

Experts are still learning about COVID-19. The information in this story is what was known or was available at the time of publication, but guidance may change as scientists discover more about the virus. Consult the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for the most up-to-date recommendations.