During this pandemic, many of us are frightened out of our minds that we may not get sense of the whole thing. Do we actually know anything else about Covid-19 other than the fact that it’s a virus that is currently causing a human pandemic? Today, I’m here to spread some more knowledge about the virus, particularly about antibody responses against it. But first, let me give you some insight on what antibodies are what what they do! Antibodies are proteins that your immune system makes in order to fight an antigen. Our B-cells produce antibodies to specific antigens found on foreign substances such as bacteria or viruses, and lets the rest of the body know that there is an invader to fight off.
During an antibody response to Covid-19, the body first recognizes pathogen associated molecular patterns, or PAMPS, of the virus and this can include things such as the viral RNA genome. This first initiates the innate immune system, and then lets the adaptive immune system know when to start fighting. This involves the rapid proliferation of B-cells and T-cells with an antibody specific to the antigen of Covid-19. Specifically, IgM and IgG are produced. IgM is the first antibody to be produced at the start of an infection, and IgG helps protect against bacterial and viral infections.
IgM titers is a test used to measure the amount of IgM produced, having only a positive IgM titer means that the body has just been first introduced to the virus, and is trying to fight it off. IgG titers are the same thing, but measure the amount of IgG produced, and having only a positive IgG titer means that the body has previously been infected with the virus, and is not fighting it off (with memory B cells and T cells from the last infection). To have both means that the body is in the process of fighting the new infection and is trying to mount an adaptive response to it. If we could determine who was IgG positive, then it would mean that there could be a vaccine! With isolating the person’s antibodies for Covid-19, we could potentially create specific antibodies that would be effective for the virus; this would especially help those who are severely ill with Covid-19. This would also mean that the person would be immune to it, and prevent them from spreading the virus to others since they would not have the ability to infect others if their body has the ability to fight it off.
One last important fact about Covid-19 that everyone may not understand: everyone needs to try to quarantine themselves if they are able to. Isolating ourselves from others will not only save lives (particularly the elderly and those who are immunocompromised), but will also help get our lives back to normal faster. Stay healthy!
Virulent Girl 