SARS-CoV-2-specific T-cells in unexposed humans: presence of cross-reactive memory cells does not equal protective immunity

Abstract

Using human blood samples obtained from pre-pandemic donors, a recent article by Mateus et al. in Science provided new evidence that SARS-CoV-2-reactive T-cells in unexposed donors are indeed HCoV-specific T-cells. Different clinical manifestations of COVID-19 have been observed: asymptomatic infections, mild self-limiting disease, acute respiratory distress syndrome and death. The determinants underlying disease severity currently remain elusive; since severe patients often present with immune hyperresponsiveness, it is speculated that the host' immune response could be a contributing factor to severe disease.

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