KATHMANDU: People who have contracted the common or seasonal cold in the past may be immune to the coronavirus infection, a study suggests. In a study published in the journal mBio, it indicated that the COVID-19 causing SARS-CoV-2 induce memory B cells, which are long-lived immune cells that detect pathogens, produce antibodies and remember them for the future. Read mBio's report, here. According to the researchers at the the US-based University of Rochester Medical Center (URMC), those memory B cells can provide immunity against the virus by neutralizing the effect of the pathogens even before the infection can start. As the memory B cells can survive for decades, they could protect COVID-19 survivors from subsequent infections for a long time. However, further research will have to verify this claim. Similarly, the study also claims the cross-reactivity of memory B cells which means B cells that once attacked cold-causing coronaviruses appeared to also identify SARS-CoV-2. Based on this, the researchers also believe it could also be interpreted that anyone who has been infected by a common coronavirus may have pre-existing immunity against the novel virus to some extent. The findings are based on a comparative study of blood samples from 26 people who were recovering from mild to moderate COVID-19 and 21 healthy donors whose samples were collected six to 10 years ago. Source: PTI