New hope for a coronavirus vaccine as Chinese company Sinovac’s shot triggered an antibody response in more than 90% of patients, early data suggests Sinovac Biotech Ltd, based in Beijing, China, has developed a vaccine called CoronaVac that uses a dead strain of the coronavirus Phase I tested safety, with none of the participants reporting … Read more
Antibody testing is seen by many as our golden ticket out of the corona quagmire. These simple blood tests are able to spot proteins released by the immune system in response to Covid-19. If you test positive, and have developed antibodies, it means you’ve been exposed to the virus – that your immune system is … Read more
‘I’m not concerned’: Anti-vaxxer Pete Evans suggests he’s IMMUNE to coronavirus because he ‘knows how to stay healthy’ By Monique Friedlander For Daily Mail Australia Published: 05:10 BST, 8 June 2020 | Updated: 05:22 BST, 8 June 2020 Anti-vaxxer and conspiracy theorist Pete Evans has suggested he’s immune to COVID-19, a highly-contagious virus that so … Read more
Starting today — and continuing all this week — Dr MICHAEL MOSLEY unveils his health revolution to help you stay one step ahead of coronavirus as the lockdown eases. In exclusive extracts from his new book Covid-19, he will help you get in the best shape to fight the virus and unveil a blueprint to … Read more
Arctic birds weaken their own immune systems to save energy for hunting and keeping warm during the coldest months, study shows Study authors examined the immune system of the Svalbard rock ptarmigan They found it can deliberately weaken its immune system to conserve energy It does this during the five coldest months of the year from October … Read more
The novel coronavirus ‘hijacks’ our body’s cells by blocking certain genes that fight against infections, a new study suggests. Viruses, such as the flu, usually interfere with two sets of genes: one that prevents viruses from replicating and the other that sends immune cells to the infection site to kill viruses. But researchers found SARS-CoV-2 behaves … Read more
Exotic animals known as ‘pangolins’ that were blamed for first transmitting coronavirus from bats to humans could be IMMUNE to the deadly disease, study claims Pangolins lack virus-sensing genes that normally trigger an immune response This means that they can carry the virus without necessarily suffering from it However, researchers are not sure how, then, the … Read more
Coronavirus immunity may not be equal: Not all recovered patients develop the same antibodies against the virus – and most are protected for at least 2 weeks, small study suggests Researchers looked at immune cells in in 14 recovered patients compared to six healthy controls All 14 patients had higher levels of both IgM antibodies, … Read more
Being fat triggers a ‘troublesome’ immune response to COVID-19, scientists fear. Scientists advising Government ministers are exploring potential underlying mechanisms that could increase the risk of death for obese patients. According to data from intensive care units, people of a healthy weight make up a minority of critically ill COVID-19 patients. Almost three quarters are carrying … Read more
Elderly coronavirus patients could be given anti-ageing drugs to restore their ‘young’ immune system and help them fight the coronavirus, scientists say. Over 80 per cent of COVID-19 hospitalisations are those over 65 years of age with a greater than 23-fold increased risk of death. As a person ages, their immune system becomes suppressed and … Read more