A common cold could protect us from coronavirus, the results of a study suggest. Specifically, a common virus would first infect cells and prevent the entry of SARS-VOC-2, according to researchers at the University of Glasgow.
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It is known that some viruses compete to be the ones that cause an infection. Scientists at the University of Glasgow claim that apparently the rhinovirus – which causes the common cold – takes precedence over the coronavirus, reports the BBC and news.ro.
The benefits may be short-lived, but the rhinovirus is so widespread, they say, that it can help suppress Covid-19.
Once a virus enters the body, it can allow others to enter or it can block their evolution. The results of the study were published in the Journal of Infectious Diseases.
The flu virus is one of the most “selfish” viruses and almost entirely infects individuals. Others, such as adenoviruses, appear more likely to give way, the researchers said.
The challenge for scientists is that a year of physical distance has slowed the spread of all viruses and made their study more difficult to perform.
The Glasgow Virus Research Center team used a replica of the airway sheath, made from the same cell type, and infected it with SARS-CoV-2 and rhinovirus.
If the rhinovirus and SARS-CoV-2 were released at the same time, only the rhinovirus managed to infect. If the rhinoceros had a 24-hour advance, then SARS-CoV-2 has no chance. Even though SARS-CoV-2 had a 24-hour advance, the rhinovirus managed to block it.
“SARS-CoV-2 is not manifested at all, it is strongly inhibited by rhinovirus”, Dr Pablo Murcia told BBC News. “It’s very interesting because if there is a high incidence of rhinovirus it can stop new SARS-CoV-2 infections.”
Additional experiments showed that rhinovirus triggered an immune response in infected cells that blocked the ability of SARS-CoV-2 to replicate.
When the researchers blocked the immune response, the levels of the virus that causes Covid were the same as if the rhinovirus had not been present.
However, SARS-CoV-2 can cause an infection once the cold has passed and the immune response has calmed down.
“Vaccination, hygiene measures and virus interactions can greatly reduce the incidence of SARS-CoV-2, but the maximum effect comes from vaccination.” Murcia also said.
Prof. Lawrence Young of Warwick Medical School said the study suggests that “This common infection can impact Covid-19 and influence the spread of SARS-CoV-2, especially in the fall and winter months, when seasonal colds are common.”
Similar effects have been observed previously. A rhinovirus epidemic may have delayed the 2009 swine flu pandemic in parts of Europe.
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