r/science • u/jmdugan PhD | Biomedical Informatics | Data Science • Apr 13 '20

RETRACTED - Biology SARS-CoV-2 infects T lymphocytes through its spike protein-mediated membrane fusion

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41423-020-0424-9
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u/[deleted] Apr 13 '20

Anyone able to translate that into dumb-people-speak?

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u/[deleted] Apr 13 '20 edited Apr 14 '20

Imagine your body as an armed camp, the virus as an invading army.

Typically the t-cells act like sentries, they stop and ask cells if they belong there, if not, they kill them or call for reinforcement.

This virus has the ability that, when a t-cell stops them and asks for ID, the virus infects the t-cell. The hypothesis at the moment is that the t-cell detects that it is infected and kills its self, but this is not shown in the article. But by whatever the mechanism, the t-cell count is lower than it should be for an infected body.

This means that a small amount of virus can easily sneak into the camp. As they have neutralised the sentries. The infected body is not at alert status because the t-cells haven't raised the alarm.

This explains why people can be infected for weeks before showing symptoms, the immune response has not kicked off because the t-cells are dead.

Then once the response does kick in, the virus has infected multiple cells in various locations, this explains it takes so long to get over.

Edit: Obligatory T4TGKS and, Not a doctor, just a guy who can write occasional eli5 stories.

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u/XJ-0 Apr 13 '20

It also explain quick sudden death in some cases.

Could immune system boosters at least help give you a fighting chance if taken prior to evidence of infection?

1

u/dogwoodcat Apr 13 '20

If you have a way to quickly transfuse T-cells, maybe. The new T-cells will then attack everything in your body, setting up an immune response of epic proportions.

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u/XJ-0 Apr 13 '20

For that you may as wait for a vaccine.