Naked Science Forum

Life Sciences => Physiology & Medicine => COVID-19 => Topic started by: set fair on 02/12/2020 18:44:48

Title: What happens to inhaled T cells?
Post by: set fair on 02/12/2020 18:44:48

In Sweden, they have kept the schools open. I was struck by the Swedish health minister saying that primary school teachers get milder covid than secondary school teachers. There are some more obvious possible reasons, but it got me wondering... young childrens immune systems are immature and they rely more on T cell immunity than adults. Could it be that their exhaled droplets contain T cells (along with virions and other things) and that an adult inhaling them, presents them to the appropriate site, where they are, in effect, debriefed - the body reacts as though one of its own T cells has encountered CoV2?

Title: Re: What happens to inhaled T cells?
Post by: set fair on 17/12/2020 22:04:09

I volunteer. I've been thinking a lot about this and it seems to boil down to 2 possibilities.

Either - children shed fewer virions and a lower inoculum results in a milder illness. I've heard this claimed but virologists are scathing about this being the case

Or - the primary school teachers' milder illness is due to them having an enhanced immune response which they acquired from their pupils.

So this is what I volunteer for; take a swab from an infected young child, remove all the virus and any other impedimenta, leaving any live white blood cells, apply intra nasally to me. Wait and see if i start producing my own cov2 specific T cells.

Any suggestions of a lab capable of and possibly amenable to doing this?

Title: Re: What happens to inhaled T cells?
Post by: alancalverd on 18/12/2020 11:01:37

Quote from: set fair on 02/12/2020 18:44:48

I was struck by the Swedish health minister saying that primary school teachers get milder covid than secondary school teachers.

It would be unwise to undertake invasive clinical research, or indeed any venture involving risk of any sort, on the basis of a statement by a politician.
Except, perhaps, investing in his wife's business.   

Title: Re: What happens to inhaled T cells?
Post by: Colin2B on 19/12/2020 08:12:27

Quote from: alancalverd on 18/12/2020 11:01:37

Quote from: set fair on 02/12/2020 18:44:48

I was struck by the Swedish health minister saying that primary school teachers get milder covid than secondary school teachers.

It would be unwise to undertake invasive clinical research, or indeed any venture involving risk of any sort, on the basis of a statement by a politician.

Like most politicians this minister is being certain where there is uncertainty. See page 5
https://schoolsweek.co.uk/ons-data-on-covid-infection-in-schools-what-you-need-to-know/