Some children have reportedly developed immunities against Covid-19 by catching other forms of the coronavirus. Others have reportedly developed antibodies after being chronically exposed to their parents' SARS-CoV-2 virus.
Younger people are more likely to develop immunities without even having been infected by the virus, according to two studies unveiled in two scientific journals. According to the first study, published in the journal Science, 44% of children have developed effective antibodies against Covid-19, in particular through exposure to other coronaviruses. According to the second study, published in the journal Nature Communications, the children developed antibodies after being chronically exposed to their parents' SARS-CoV-2 virus.
Almost one in two children immunized
Thus, exposure to other coronaviruses would protect one in two children from the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus. To arrive at this observation, the British researchers were interested in a sample of 302 minors, by comparing the blood results of people with the virus to those who did not catch it.
According to this report, 43.8% of children and adolescents aged 1 to 16 who have not contracted the virus because they are carriers of IgG antibodies that protect against infection with Covid-19. “Our results show that children are much more likely to develop cross-reacting antibodies than adults ", says Kevin Ng, author of the study. "More research is needed to understand why, but it could be because children are more regularly exposed to other coronaviruses."
Boosted antibodies
Also, the family is believed to have an important role in the formation of antibodies against Covid-19 in children. “The study authors examined the immune profile of a Melbourne family of two parents with Covid-19 with symptoms and their three children of primary school age”, indicates why doctor.
Indeed, exposure to the virus would have led these children to develop antibodies without having an infection. “The youngest child, who showed no symptoms, had the strongest antibody response"says Dr Melanie Neeland of MCRI. "Despite the active immune cell response in all of the children, the levels of cytokines, molecular messengers in the blood that can trigger an inflammatory response, remained low. This was consistent with their mild or absent symptoms."
Thus, chronic exposure in children would cause the immune system to develop antibodies, which would prevent infections.