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. What's .
