Understanding the immunology behind COVID-19

Dr Linda Calabresi

writer

Dr Linda Calabresi

GP; Medical Editor, Healthed

Dr Linda Calabresi

This week’s expert:
Professor Andrew Lloyd, Infectious Diseases Physician at Prince of Wales Hospital, Sydney and Head of the Viral Immunology Systems Program, Kirby Institute.

Drawn from an interview with Prof Lloyd by Dr Harry Nespolon on the Healthed podcast Going Viral.

• COVID-19 is an RNA virus from the coronavirus family and a relative to a number of viruses that cause cold-like symptoms as well as the viruses the caused SARS and MERS. In structure it is 80% identical to the virus that caused SARS.

• To understand the morbidity related to COVID-19, one has to understand the host response to the viral infection which involves two key elements – the innate response, which is the body’s first response on recognising it has been infected by a pathogen – any pathogen – and then there is the development of adaptive immunity. This is the body’s attempt to combat infection by this specific pathogen, and commonly involves a humoral response where the B cells produce antibodies which can recognise this infecting virus and inhibit it from entering cells or replicating once inside the cell, as well as T cell immunity, where circulating lymphocytes are mobilised to either kill or protect against the virus.

PASSWORD RESET

Forgot your password or password not working? Please enter your email address. You will receive an email with the link to set a new password.

Icon 2

NEXT LIVE Webcast

:
Days
:
Hours
:
Minutes
Seconds
Dr Kate Walsh

Dr Kate Walsh

Endometriosis Cases – Practical Guide

Prof Finlay Macrae AO

Prof Finlay Macrae AO

Familial Colorectal Cancer

Prof Richard Harvey

Prof Richard Harvey

Recurrent Nasal Polyps Management – When to Refer

Prof Terence O'Brien

Prof Terence O'Brien

SUDEP – What is it and How to Reduce the Risk

Join us for the next free webcast for GPs and healthcare professionals

High quality lectures delivered by leading independent experts

Once you confirm you’ve read this article you can complete a Patient Case Review to earn 0.5 hours CPD in the Reviewing Performance (RP) category.

Select ‘Confirm & learn‘ when you have read this article in its entirety and you will be taken to begin your Patient Case Review.

We invite you to join the upcoming Healthed webcast where Prof Macrae speak on how GPs can suspect, assess and manage hereditary colorectal cancer risk.

Tuesday 2nd September, 7pm AEST