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Comment by mlyle | Hacker News Reader

From the abstract of your source: "Memory T cell responses to a pool of SARS-CoV S peptides were identified in 14 of 23 (60.9%) recovered SARS patients, whereas there was no such specific response in either close contacts or healthy controls."

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Correct - there was a long-term memory T cell response. However, see sentance immediately preceeding the one you quoted - basically SARS-CoV IgG antibodies ("IgG Ab" below) were totally absent 6 years after infection. So, antibodies against SARS are not produced long-term, unlike many other types of viral infections, and unlike the desired mechanism of most vaccines.

"Six years postinfection, specific IgG Ab to SARS-CoV became undetectable in 21 of the 23 former patients. No SARS-CoV Ag-specific memory B cell response was detected in either 23 former SARS patients or 22 close contacts of SARS patients."

here is HTML version of article https://www.jimmunol.org/content/186/12/7264.long (DOI 10.4049/jimmunol.0903490)

K. Thanks for "refuting" a comment where I said "total antibody-based immunity will last a few years, based on our experience with SARS-CoV-1" with evidence that antibodies are gone several years later. :P

No no, thank YOU for "refuting" my "refutation"! I do stand corrected, I did not internalize your "total antibody-based immunity will last a few years" sentance, and was focused on the following "memory B cell / T cell based immunity is likely lifelong".

Your study leans against the memory B cell part, but found strong memory T cell response, so...

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