Antibody level and Protection in Covid-19

[ Against a virus which predominantly remains indoor (inside a cell) and impersonates our mRNA, simple antibodies like stray bullets are useless. We need the intelligence and discretion power of capable T cells to fight the virus and its variants.]

How does our serum antibody level correlate with our protection against the Coronavirus ?

Antibody level correlates to less than 30% of our protection against the Corona virus. Even this is not fully correct.

Here is why ?

Antibody versus Cell Immunity in a Viral infection.

90% of our defence against the Corona virus is mediated by our Cells. That shouldn’t raise an eyebrow. After all, 99% of viruses are intra-cellular. 

Antibodies are free lance musketeers that patrol miles and miles of our circulatory highway with a picture of the target in their vest pocket. They have the orders to shoot the target at sight. But this virus is a clever, determined fellow with a single task in the back of its mind, procreation and get out. Viruses don’t have the machinery to print their daughter copies. So It leaves our blood stream and immediately goes underground. Once inside the target, ( say one Corona virus enters a Lung Cell) it takes the whole cell into hostage, and gets busy in printing thousand copies of daughter cells. Soon the thousand daughter viruses will escape but not before blowing the lung cell out. Each daughter virus that comes out immediately holes inside another cell. Antibodies can have only a fraction of moment to do the job. That’s a tall order.

In viral infections, Cell immunity matters not the antibody level. We don’t have the technology to measure them.

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We can measure antibody level against the Corona Virus in our blood though.

But this is not a very useful idea. The gene of Corona Virus can code for 29 antigens. We can measure only 6 or 7 of them. Ok, we can measure the antibody that is specific against the spike protein. We can also measure the viral load in our blood.

Roughly the antibody in our blood correlates best with the number of viruses circulating in our blood.  But unlike in a case of a bacterial infection where blood culture can give out the bacteria accurately, this is not true for virus. 99% of Covid-19 viruses are inside a cell.

This our blood antibody level is not a good indicator of our protection against a virus.

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Our Defence against a Virus is totally different from that against bacterium

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Here is a blue print of our defence against a virus. This is totally different from our defence against a bacterium. A bacterial infection like infection somewhere usually gives us tell tale signs like chilling temperature, plenty of pus and pungent, foul smell. Viruses are suave, gentleman killers.

When a virus enters our body, on the Day 1 itself, our T cells get a FIR ( First Information Received). There are specialised lymphocytes in our blood called T cells. If antibodies can be likened to a simple bullet, A T cell can be likened to a fully equipped self sufficient armoured tank with an advanced IT system installed inside it. The instant it picks up the first virus, it bundles it into their scanning centre ( swallowed). Here it is thoroughly frisked, and print-outs of its complete genetic code is made. Copies of all such informations are immediately circulated to all concerned. 

• First it was compared with the library of earlier copies ( Rogue Gallery inclusive) available in their memory bank in the outpost itself.

Is it an ally– an insulin protein or a thyroid hormone ? Is it a known foe or an unknown element ?

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We have the capability to produce antibodies against a billion proteins. But some of them are our own proteins- our eye, thyroid, insulin. When our T cells fail to identify the self from foreign, they can go on destroying our own pancreas, eye or thyroid. This is known as the auto immune disease. T cells are at full liberty to decide when to mount an offensive.

• The second copy goes to the ordnance factory where bullets with precise name of the enemy forged on it are manufactured. These are called specific antibodies. This is possible only when this virus is already registered in the rogue gallery of our mint. This is possible if we have past experience of such infection. This can be achieved by vaccination.

• The third copy is sent to the DRDO for researching and making a drawing a new gene code for the ordnance factory to fabricate a new set of ammunition specific to the culprit.

• But the last and not the least, the T cell have to take a call if they suspect that the culprit is likely to go underground into a public section. For example, Hepatitis virus lurks inside a liver cell, a Corona virus goes into a lung cell or a Polio virus stays indoor inside a nerve cell. In all these cases, the antibodies our powerless. They can only surround the infected liver or lung cell till the virus is flushed out. That is the duty of T cell. 
• T cells are extreme improvisors. Once spurred into action, the T cells multiply every half an hour for 5- 6 days ( thus there will be 10^6 T cells with the copy of the genetic information of the pathogen. Each T cell also has a stock of Cytokines that can kill our own lung cells if it be needed. Our Problem is these cytokines cannot differentiate a normal lung cell from an infected cell. So once released, they will burn the whole colony of lung cells- both good and bad together. T cells can even send torpedoes ( killer cells) as big as a tank that can blow a whole organ into thin smoke.

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The war against the virus is an art of controlled aggression. The T cells have the full autonomy to decide when to start an offensive, against whom ( None of the vital installations like lung, liver, heart or brain has immunity) and when to call off the strike.

T cells are known as the bandmaster of the Orchestra of our immune system. Our complete defence against viruses, Quality of defence, Length of the war everything depends upon the shoulders of these pint sized round cells.

Conclusion-

Our protection against any pathogen depends upon our 3 wings of defence

Mere antibodies are useless against a virus which predominantly remains indoor and impersonates our mRNA.

We need the intelligence and discretion power of sensitised T cells to fight this virus and its variants.

Only cellular immunity can ascertain the real protection against an intracellular virus. Unfortunately, we don’t have a sure shot test to measure Cell Mediated Immunity.

Measuring antibody level against the covid-19 can at best be considered to be a survey tool not a diagnostic tool. But in this pandemic, measurement of Corona Antibodies ( like so many fake things) are doing brisk business.

Even doctors are falling prey to such shrewd charlatans.

Everybody likes a good pandemic.

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