Bhubaneswar: It is the immunity of a person that helps him to stay alive in the face of the ongoing attack of bacteria and viruses, which may lead to a minor illness or deadly Coronavirus disease (COVID-19).
During the COVID-19 press meet of Odisha Government on Thursday, renowned immunologist Ramnath Misra explained how immunity has helped many people survive the pandemic.
Misra said that immunity is of two types. First is Innate immunity – Everyone is born with it, and the second is Adaptive immunity – It develops throughout life depending on the bacteria or viruses entering the body.
There are two subdivisions of the adaptive immune system. First is the cell-mediated immune response, and second is the humoral immune response. The cells that carry out the acquired immune response are known as lymphocytes which secrete antibodies.
“Over 10 lakh bacteria and viruses attack a human body in a lifetime. It is the antibodies that identify and neutralize foreign objects such as bacteria and viruses. It is because of the immune system that people have recovered from COVID-19,” said Misra.
“Coronavirus also needs a host, which is a cell in the human body, to survive. Among the people who are infected with COVID-19, only 5 to 10 percent are symptomatic as the immunity has helped in neutralizing the virus in most cases,” he added.