Babies and their Super Immune Response
Babies are known for a lot of things. One of them is being snotty, a trait sometimes found displeasing and unendearing. However, a new study has shown that this mucus provides a strong level of protection against COVID-19 infection. Compared to adults, infants and young children produce antibodies against COVID-19 that last longer and have an overall faster immune response to the virus.
A healthy immune response has multiple parts to it: the innate immune response and the adaptive immune response. The innate responses are the generalized defenses our bodies have against all antigens that prevent invasion and growth in our bodies. They are more immediate than adaptive responses. First, the body recognizes that there is a foreign antigen using T cells. Next the body releases various cells that attack these antibodies. This is where the infant and adult immune responses differed most according to the study.
A healthy immune response has multiple parts to it: the innate immune response and the adaptive immune response. The innate responses are the generalized defenses our bodies have against all antigens that prevent invasion and growth in our bodies. They are more immediate than adaptive responses. First, the body recognizes that there is a foreign antigen using T cells. Next the body releases various cells that attack these antibodies. This is where the infant and adult immune responses differed most according to the study.
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The study found three innate immune responses that distinguished them from adult innate immune responses. The first was that within the first five days of infection, infants had high levels of activity in several cells that improve immune response to viruses. Two of these are called interferon cells, or IFNs. The first is IFN type 1 that alerts the body that there is a virus and triggers the body to look for ways to fight the virus. This alert state is called an antiviral state. The second IFN pathway that is activated is type two. While type one IFNs alert the body of a virus, type two IFNs attack any foreign things that enter, including viruses such as COVID-19. In addition to these IFNs, both inflammatory cytokines and chemokines were found at increased numbers compared to adults. Both of these cells signal to white blood cells to come to the site of infection, in this case the nasal cavity. The white blood cells then attack and destroy the foreign cells, in this case COVID-19 viral particles.
The second important distinction causing infants and younger children to have less severe COVID-19 infections is that the cells that respond to infections are affiliated to both types of immune responses. The first immune response is the innate response, which is the immediate response the body has to any foreign cell that enters our bodies. The second is the adaptive immune response, which is tailored to specific enemy cells. This response is built from previous infections, allowing the body to adapt to respond better and more effectively. The cells found in infants and young children’s nasal mucus are important in orchestrating both of these immune responses, making a more effective, targeted, and fast response to COVID-19 viral particles.
The third important distinction the study found was that infants and young children had a much faster response to COVID-19 viral particles. Immune responses happened much faster and earlier than they did for adults. This means the viral particles could not invade the body past their initial point of infection. For COVID-19 viral particles, this meant the virus was contained to the nasal cavity by the infants’ immune responses. Part of this immune response consists of mucus and snot.
The immune response of infants is incredible, and vital given their vulnerable immune system in the first months and years of life. To a baby’s immune system, anything and everything is a pathogen, so this robust immune response we see, compared to the weaker adult response, is typical to infants.
The second important distinction causing infants and younger children to have less severe COVID-19 infections is that the cells that respond to infections are affiliated to both types of immune responses. The first immune response is the innate response, which is the immediate response the body has to any foreign cell that enters our bodies. The second is the adaptive immune response, which is tailored to specific enemy cells. This response is built from previous infections, allowing the body to adapt to respond better and more effectively. The cells found in infants and young children’s nasal mucus are important in orchestrating both of these immune responses, making a more effective, targeted, and fast response to COVID-19 viral particles.
The third important distinction the study found was that infants and young children had a much faster response to COVID-19 viral particles. Immune responses happened much faster and earlier than they did for adults. This means the viral particles could not invade the body past their initial point of infection. For COVID-19 viral particles, this meant the virus was contained to the nasal cavity by the infants’ immune responses. Part of this immune response consists of mucus and snot.
The immune response of infants is incredible, and vital given their vulnerable immune system in the first months and years of life. To a baby’s immune system, anything and everything is a pathogen, so this robust immune response we see, compared to the weaker adult response, is typical to infants.
Featured Image Source: Vika Glitter
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