Scientists have found in the blood of patients who have never had COVID-19 before, neutralizing antibodies to SARS-CoV-2. This is probably a consequence of the usual seasonal colds.. Scientists now believe that the idea of \u200b\u200bcreating a universal vaccine against many strains of coronavirus is very viable..

A group of British scientists have found that some people have antibodies to SARS-CoV-2 in their blood, despite the fact that they have never previously been infected with this virus. These antibodies can neutralize the new coronavirus and this picture is most pronounced in children and adolescents, according to the Francis Crick Institute website..

Antibodies, according to the authors, are present in the body due to exposure to other coronaviruses, which usually cause seasonal colds and are structurally similar to SARS-CoV-2. Scientists made an unexpected discovery during the development of highly sensitive tests for antibodies to SARS-CoV-2. They tested them among patients without COVID-19, but the results showed that there were antibodies in the blood that recognize SARS-CoV-2.

They then decided to confirm their results and analyzed 300 blood samples collected between 2011 and 2018..

About one in 20 volunteers, and especially children aged 6 to 16 years, had such cross-reactive antibodies, which mainly belonged to the IgG class.

Children are likely much more likely to be exposed to other coronaviruses, which may explain the findings as well as the actual picture of the pandemic.. Data Shows Children Less Likely To Get Seriously Ill COVID-19.

Testing of the properties of the detected antibodies showed that they target the S2 subunit of the coronavirus spike protein. The S1 subunit allows the virus to enter cells and is relatively diverse among coronaviruses.

New study shows S2 is common enough between seasonal coronaviruses and SARS-CoV-2 for some antibodies to work against them.

Previously it was thought that only antibodies to S1 could block infection, but now there is strong evidence that some antibodies to S2 could be just as effective. These exciting results could lead to vaccines that work against a range of coronaviruses, including SARS-CoV-2, the authors say.. However, scientists must first prove that these antibodies do prevent the infection and spread of COVID-19..