Why do some people become seriously ill with COVID-19, while others have no symptoms at all? The answer may lie in the proteins our immune system has previously been exposed to.

A recent study in open-access journal Frontiers in Immunology finds that common foods, vaccines, bacteria and viruses may all prime our immune system to attack SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. These agents all contain proteins that are similar to those found in SARS-CoV-2. As such, exposure to these proteins may train our immune system to respond when it encounters the virus. The study paves the way for new immunotherapies or vaccines that lead to stronger immunity against COVID-19.

SARS-CoV-2: Comfort in the familiar?

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