A wide variety of COVID-19 symptoms exist, ranging from mild to severe, and while current strains of the virus generally cause milder symptoms, those with co-morbidities are still at an exponentially greater risk of severe disease. Now, new research from Emory University is providing a more precise prediction of COVID-19 severity that can be found by looking at autoantibodies in the nasal cavity , leading to more personalized treatment plans. For high-risk individuals, this could provide critical information to inform immediate treatment options, including quickly taking medications like Paxlovid within one week of symptoms to mitigate a severe response.
The study, published in Science Translational Medicine , followed 125 patients with varying levels of COVID-19 (from mild to severe) for nearly two years. They tracked antibodies in both the blood and nasal airways, finding that more than 70% of people with mild or moderate COVID-19 developed certain autoantibodies—generally an indication of disease—in the nose that were surprisingly linked to fewer symptoms, better antiviral immunity, and faster recovery. The findings suggest that the presence of autoantibodies in the nose can play a protective role and help regulate the immune system to prevent excessive inflammation and fight off the virus more effectively.
"Generally, autoantibodies are associated with pathology and a negative prognosis, causing increased inflammation that would indicate more severe disease," says Eli.
