Scientific research

Immunological differences in mild and severe COVID-19 cases sheds light on the immune mechanisms underlying COVID-19 severity

In a collaborative study led by Stanford University School of Medicine, HKU SPH and Stanford researchers have documented immune responses to 76 COVID-19 patients in and 69 healthy controls in Hong Kong and the United states to investigate the mechanisms which may determine the severity of COVID-19 in infected individuals. In their study, the researchers found both antibody as well as immune cell-mediated immune responses in COVID-19 patients. However, COVID-19 patients appear to have indicators of impaired innate immune responses against viral infections compared to healthy controls. Elevated pro-inflammatory cytokines, a type of protein secreted by immune cells, were also associated with the severity of COVID-19 in this study.

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DOI: 10.1126/science.abc6261

# disease severity and immunity