Do you really know?

What are antibodies? Thanks for asking!

Antibodies are Y-shaped proteins which are secreted by B cells in the human body’s immune system. Their function is to neutralize pathogens like bacteria and viruses which enter the body. They work by recognizing unique molecules in the foreign material, which are known as antigens. By binding to the antigens, antibodies are able to destroy disease-causing microbes, or block them from causing infections. When we recover from an infection, some antibodies remain in the body serving as memory cells. Their presence therefore protects against future infections from the same pathogen. Serology tests can be carried out to determine whether a person has such protection. A blood sample is taken from the patient and later analysed for antibodies and antigens.

So why go to the effort of vaccinating people if the body is able to defend itself all alone with antibodies?

Antibodies represent our third line of defense against disease, after surface barriers and the non-specific responses of the innate immune system. In most people, this multi-layered system slows down infections, so the body can produce antibodies. But some people’s immune systems are weaker than others, and some viruses like COVID-19 are more dangerous than others. On the other hand, vaccinating someone is a pre-emptive strategy to help their immune system develop antibodies as future protection. This consists of injecting inactivated components of a disease into the body. When a vaccinated person encounters the pathogen that causes the disease in question, the body is ready to respond very quickly. Many once-deadly diseases have been more or less eliminated through vaccines, such as smallpox, measles and mumps.

So could we describe coronavirus as a flu which has mutated? And if you have been infected by coronavirus, does your body create antibodies? In under 3 minutes, we answer your questions!

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