News from our Top german virologist Christian Drosten: I´m not a medical expert, but could this be a/ THE solution to pass a weaker corona infection later, if you just give people the old milder cold antibodies before?.. Just asking, Ilka
Drosten: Indication of background immunity against new coronavirus
According to the Berlin virologist Christian Drosten, mild or symptomless corona progressions could be related to previous infections with cold corona viruses.
Referring to a study by a Charité colleague, Christian Drosten confirmed on Friday in the NDR podcast that a certain background immunity seems to exist in the (german) population.
Drosten’s team had participated in the study on so-called T-helper cells, which are central to the immune response.
The researchers had seen that 34 percent of the patients had reactive T-cells that could recognize certain parts of the new coronavirus. So-called reactivity can be expected once the disease is over – but these patients had no contact with Sars-CoV-2, said Drosten.
The fact that reactive T-cells were nevertheless present could be due to infections with human cold coronaviruses.
Further explanations for mild courses
Drosten spoke of the first such observation worldwide, but he also warned against over-interpreting the results. One should by no means conclude that one third of the population is immune. Further explanations for mild or asymptomatic courses of disease are also the fact that those affected are initially less susceptible to viruses or are generally in better condition.
Regarding the debate on the estimates of the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) on the reproduction rate after the lockdown, Drosten said – among other arguments – that he also assumed that the statistics were distorted. He had therefore asked a group to calculate a model taking other effects into account. Drosten emphasised that test capacities had already been greatly increased in March – while the number of infections also increased in real terms: In the week from 2 March, 87,000 tests were carried out, 127,000 the following week and 348,000 the week after. After that, however, they remained more or less the same. The fact that the lockdown had not brought about anything or was not necessary is a misconception. dpa/fra.
Who is Christian Drosten?
Professor Dr. Christian Drosten is head of the Institute of Virology at the Charité hospital in Berlin and one of the leading virus researchers in Germany. The 48-year-old is regarded as a co-discoverer of the SARS virus. Immediately after the outbreak of the SARS pandemic in 2003, he developed a test for the newly discovered virus, for which he was awarded the Federal Cross of Merit in 2005. In the current corona crisis, the native of Emsland is a sought-after discussion partner, providing information on the current situation every day.
Translated with www.DeepL.com/Translator (free version)
Article/Source (german) /Last updated 24 April 2020, 19:53 :
English 
Italian