VOA健康报道2024--Study: Past COVID Infection Could Protect Against Colds

Study: Past COVID Infection Could Protect Against Colds

A new study suggests that people infected with COVID-19 in the past may receive protection against some kinds of common colds.

COVID-19 is one of several coronaviruses known to affect humans. The new research found that past COVID-19 infections can lower the risk of getting colds caused by other coronaviruses. Studies have shown coronaviruses account for about one in five colds.

Researchers involved in the study say their results could support future efforts to improve COVID-19 vaccines² or develop new ones.

The study examined COVID-19 tests from more than 4,900 people who sought medical care between November 2020 and October 2021.

It showed that people previously³ infected with COVID-19 had a 50 percent lower chance of having a coronavirus-caused cold than those who were fully⁴ vaccinated⁵ and had not gotten COVID-19.

The research recently appeared in the publication Science Translational Medicine. The lead writer of the study was Dr. Manish Sagar. He is an infectious disease specialist at Boston Medical Center and a professor at Boston University in Massachusetts.

Sagar told the Associated Press, “We think there’s going to be a future outbreak of a coronavirus.” He said current coronavirus vaccines might be improved if researchers could copy some of the immune reactions “provided by natural infection.”

Researchers linked the protection against coronavirus-caused colds to virus-killing cell reactions for two viral proteins. These proteins are not currently used in most vaccines. But the researchers have proposed adding them in the future.

Sagar said this development may lead to future vaccines that could target not only current coronaviruses, but also new ones that might appear.

Dr. Wesley Long is a pathologist at Houston Methodist in Texas. He was not involved in the study. Long noted⁶ that the findings should not be seen as a weakness of current vaccines. These vaccines target a so-called “spike protein” contained in the SARS-CoV-2 virus that causes COVID-19.

Long said those vaccines are “still your best defense⁷ against severe COVID-19 infection, hospitalization and death.”

But Long added that new targets could be added to existing vaccines in an effort to “cross-protect against multiple viruses.” This process, he said, could result in wider immunity⁸ from a single vaccine¹.

Words in This Story

immunity – n. bodily power to resist an infectious disease

pathologist – n. a doctor who specializes in pathology: the scientific study of disease and causes of death

1 vaccine   

n.牛痘苗，疫苗；adj.牛痘的，疫苗的

参考例句：

• The polio vaccine has saved millions of lives.脊髓灰质炎疫苗挽救了数以百万计的生命。
• She takes a vaccine against influenza every fall.她每年秋季接种流感疫苗。

2 vaccines   

疫苗，痘苗( vaccine的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• His team are at the forefront of scientific research into vaccines. 他的小组处于疫苗科研的最前沿。
• The vaccines were kept cool in refrigerators. 疫苗放在冰箱中冷藏。

3 previously   

adv.以前，先前（地）

参考例句：

• The bicycle tyre blew out at a previously damaged point.自行车胎在以前损坏过的地方又爆开了。
• Let me digress for a moment and explain what had happened previously.让我岔开一会儿，解释原先发生了什么。

4 fully   

adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地

参考例句：

• The doctor asked me to breathe in,then to breathe out fully.医生让我先吸气，然后全部呼出。
• They soon became fully integrated into the local community.他们很快就完全融入了当地人的圈子。

5 vaccinated   

[医]已接种的，种痘的，接种过疫菌的

参考例句：

• I was vaccinated against tetanus. 我接种了破伤风疫苗。
• Were you vaccinated against smallpox as a child? 你小时候打过天花疫苗吗？

6 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

7 defense   

n.防御，保卫；[pl.]防务工事；辩护，答辩

参考例句：

• The accused has the right to defense.被告人有权获得辩护。
• The war has impacted the area with military and defense workers.战争使那个地区挤满了军队和防御工程人员。

8 immunity   

n.优惠；免除；豁免，豁免权

参考例句：

• The law gives public schools immunity from taxation.法律免除公立学校的纳税义务。
• He claims diplomatic immunity to avoid being arrested.他要求外交豁免以便避免被捕。