COVID-19: Scientists decode how severe viral infections derail the immune system

In latest study, scientists have discovered process that les to deterioration of immune system after getting infected by chronic disease. According to study, overwhelming viral infection causes some components of immune system to go into dysfunctional mode, particularly T cells, a process widely kwn as 'T cell exhaustion'. study, published in peer-reviewed journal Nature Immulogy, found T cells can become dysfunctional within a few days as opposed to earlier studies that said it takes over long periods of time to become impaired. 

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study is being dubbed as an exciting finding by scientists who feel it will provide great help in developing new rapies for contagion disease. "Unexpectedly, we find that high amounts of antigen promote generation of precursor T cells. Early precursor T cells responding to chronic infection acquire transcriptional and epigenetic hallmarks of exhaustion within a few days, whereas early effector T cells resemble polyfunctional T cells found in response to acute infection," study said. T cell plays a major role in developing an immune response to fight against diseases. Various pre-clinical trials of potential COVID-19 vaccines have displayed positive signs in T cell responses. A company in United Kingdom recently developed a test for detecting T cells in COVID-19 patients. 

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COVID-19 pandemic

Meanwhile, coronavirus pandemic, which originated from China's Wuhan city, possibly from bats, is continuing to r havoc across globe with over 23.8 million confirmed cases and more than 8,15,000 deaths so far. According to figures by Johns Hopkins University, United States remains worst affected country in world with 5.7 million infections and at least 1,78,000 deaths to date. United States is followed by Brazil, India, Russia, and South Africa in terms of reported cases, while in terms of deaths, Brazil, Mexico, India, and United Kingdom le charts after rth American nation. Currently, re are over 150 vaccine candidates being developed across world, according to World Health Organisation (WHO) with AstraZeneca and Oxford's ChOx1 nCoV-19 (AZD1222) being considered as a frontrunner.

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(Im Credit: AP)