The keys to Covid: vaccines, treatments, and immunity

All developed countries are racing to develop effective vaccines and treatments for Covid-19. It is hoped that vaccines will end the pandemic by inducing immunity to the virus, while new treatments will help those affected to recover. At the same time many governments, including those of the UK and Japan, are hoping to use antibody tests to identify people who have become immune to Covid-19 after contracting the virus, giving them an ‘immunity passport’, so that these people can go back to work safely.

Unfortunately, our understanding of Covid-19 is still limited. It is not known why a significant minority of those infected develop severe symptoms, while others are affected only mildly. In addition, there is no reliable test available to assess people’s immunity to the virus, which raises questions about the feasibility of vaccine development.

In this webinar, Dr Ono explained how our immune system fights the Covid-19 infection and how it can be defeated in severely affected patients. He highlighted the key role of lymphocytes and their ‘memory’ function in recovery and immunity. He then reviewed current global efforts to develop treatments and vaccines and showed the outstanding issues that need to be solved.

A video of the event can be found below:

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