How the body’s immune system tries to fight off COVID-19
LA TimesVaccines and the antibodies they generate are just one piece of the puzzle when it comes to fighting off the coronavirus, pictured, that causes COVID-19. Here‘s a breakdown of how the body’s immune system works and how it’s been tested by Omicron: B cells, T cells, NKs and DCs Think of the immune system as having three layers of defense. Vaccination, Weiskopf said, “is nothing but training the immune system without getting sick.” COVID-19 vaccines create antibodies that recognize the spike protein and other characteristics of SARS-CoV-2, along with memory T cells that can recognize cells that have been infected with the virus. That’s why there are regulatory T cells to “act as a counterweight on this whole system,” helping to rein in the killer cells, he said. Late in life, Wherry said, “they become a much smaller portion of the cells you can call into action.” As we age, problems emerge in other elements of the immune system as well, he said.
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