The emergency relief coordinator of the world health organization (WHO) is skeptical that the new Coronavirus can be eliminated according to the rapid spread around the globe yet. "This Virus can be in the population at home, it may be that it never disappears more and more," said Michael Ryan in mid-may in Geneva.

unlike the seasonal flu, there are against Sars-CoV-2, to date, no vaccination. Researchers expect to see a vaccine for at least several months. So far, the Corona-therapy is limited principally to the relieving of the symptoms.

Increasingly, the question of a possible immunity after surviving Covid-19-disease . It was in the past a few skeptics, most scientists today agree that a person to the disease, at least for a time, immune to Sars-CoV-2. Because in the course of an infection, the immune system of a people is, among other things, antibodies to combat the invading pathogens.

• All the latest news on Sars-CoV-2-pandemic you read in the News-Ticker of FOCUS Online.

reaction of the body: the immune system responds to Sars-CoV-2

When someone infected with Sars-CoV-2, to dock the Virus to so-called ACE2 receptors. It multiplies in the cells of the body, causing the immune system is alerted. First, the innate (nonspecific) responds to immune defense, as soon as you recognize the harmful pathogens. " In this Moment, decides, whether it comes to an essential disease or not , " says Thomas Löscher, an Internist and infectious disease Loge from the professional Association of German internists (BDI).

the immune system Is strong, it fights the virus successfully and the person Concerned shows only mild or no symptoms of the disease. A weak immune system prevents the virus replication is not sufficient. A serious or even critical progression to pneumonia or multi-organ consequences of failure. The immune system works, the acquired (specific) immune system works to get rid of the disease pathogen again.

The older people are, the less active the innate defense is, your cells respond less strongly. At the same time the immune memory does not work so well. "The immune system in old age, forgetful that we know of vaccinations," adds Virologist Ulrike Protzer, Institute Director of the Institute for Virology at the Helmholtz Zentrum München. Chronic viral infections may accelerate the age-related changes in the immune system.

at the latest After ten days, the body developed specific Sars-CoV-2-immune

In healthy or young people but was: "After about a week to ten days, the body develops a specific immune response to the Coronavirus," describes infections Lodge of the quencher, and has also cared for the first patient in Munich, the way to immunity.

The body is so immune cells specifically targeted against this Virus. bodies With these antibodies and the cellular immune learned response of the Infected so, with the exciter off. Who has made a Coronavirus infection, therefore, is immune first.

"stop How long this immunity and whether it remains a life-long, we don't know yet," explains the Professor. It is one of the many still unsolved questions. More to the Coronavirus

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Robert-Koch-Institute is about three years of immunity

The Robert Koch Institute (RKI) writes: "The experiences with other corona virus infections (Sars and Mers) suggest, that the immunity could last for up to three years ." The experts see low risk to already Convalescent, to infect again.

Also, the WHO and a number of experts around the world have since been reported to the word. You can also refer to the experiences with other corona viruses, and are optimistic that a history of infection at least temporarily to a immunity. "There is currently no medically documented case in which someone is declared a second Time to Covid-19 ill", such as immunologist Thomas Kamradt in an interview with FOCUS Online.

he, Too, is based on the experience from the first Sars epidemic, as well as with a cold corona viruses. You speak according to him, for immunity, the stop at least "a few years". During this time, Sars-CoV-2 had also no possibility, in the body of the Person to penetrate: "Immune means I'm protected, and I protect the others."

runny nose Immune to Corona? This is what we know so far about the cross-immunities

are Also mentioned more frequently in this context, so-called cross-immunities. Researchers around Andreas Thiel from Berlin's Charité hospital have recently found out that people who had never been with Sars-CoV-2 in contact, an immune response against the Virus .

The scientists suspect that behind this reaction, a previous infection with a Coronavirus could be stuck, such as in the case of a cold. Such a cross-reactivity is nothing Unusual, however, must now be clarified whether it is good or bad for the patient. All the important messages to the Coronavirus in the FOCUS Online Newsletter. Subscribe now.

T-attack cells in Sars-CoV-2, although they are exposed to him, never were

researchers from the USA came to similar conclusions: In a recently in the science journal "Cell" published the study, Infectious disease specialists, Alessandro Sette and Shane Crotty from La Jolla, California the Institute for Immunology of the investigated samples, such as T cells from the blood, which were taken between 2015 and 2018 – well before the current plague to Sars-CoV-2 to respond.

It turned out that many of the immune cells to attack the pathogen, even though they were never exposed to it. It could be that the affected persons have suffered from a cold that was caused by other, less aggressive corona virus, the conclusion the study authors conclude in this study.

thus, While it was unclear whether the observed cross-reaction of protection bring a immune, but they could explain why Covid-19 hits some people harder than others. "Any degree of immunization by a corona virus-induced cross-reaction can modify the global Seuchenzug substantially," stresses Crotty. "That can take into account the epidemiologists now with their forecasts for the further course of the pandemic."

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with keko, mo and dpa

Date Of Update: 25 May 2020, 10:26