New Study Suggests , T Cells Could Lead , to Universal COVID Vaccine.
'Newsweek' reports that a new study suggests that immune system T cells from previous illnesses could help defend people against COVID-19.
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The research could lead to a new generation of potential vaccines.
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The study was conducted at the Imperial College London under lead author Dr. Rhia Kundu.
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Another senior author of the study, Professor Ajit Lalvani, said that a new type of vaccine utilizing T cells could prevent infection from current and future variants of COVID.
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Our study provides the clearest evidence to date that T cells induced by common cold coronaviruses play a protective role against SARS-CoV-2 infection, Professor Ajit Lalvani, director of the NIHR Respiratory Infections Health Protection Research Unit at Imperial College London, via BBC.
However, Dr. Kundu and others have cautioned that while the study showed promising results, people should still get vaccinated now.
While this is an important discovery, it is only one form of protection, and I would stress that no one should rely on this alone.
Instead, the best way to protect yourself against COVID-19 is to be fully vaccinated, including getting your booster dose, Dr. Rhia Kundu, Imperial College London press release, via BBC.
'Newsweek' explains that T cells are a form of white blood cells and are a critical part of the immune system.
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T cells reportedly provide protection by attacking proteins within the COVID-19 virus.
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The journal, 'Nature Communications' published the study, on January 10, 2022