SARS-CoV-2-specific T cell immunity in cases of COVID-19 and SARS, and uninfected controls

https://www.nature.com/articles/s4158...

Memory T cells induced by infection

Future susceptibility and clinical severity

Patients recovered from in COVID-19

T cells from recovered patients recognised multiple regions of the SARS-CoV-2

Patients recovered from SARS (SRS-CoV-1)

SARS-recovered patients (n=23) still possess long-lasting memory T cells reactive to SARS

17 years after the 2003 outbreak

Robust cross-reactivity to SARS-CoV-2 NP, (structural nucleocapsid protein)

Surprisingly

Frequently detected SARS-CoV-2 specific T cells in individuals with no history of SARS,

COVID-19 or contact with SARS/COVID-19 patients (n=37)

In these people the T cells were active against a different part of the virus

Epitope low homology to “common cold” human coronaviruses

Infection with betacoronaviruses induces multispecific and long-lasting T cell immunity to the structural protein NP

Cows, dogs, bats, rodents

Understanding pre-existing T cell immunity in the general population is of paramount importance for the management of the current COVID-19 pandemic