The Mystery Behind Infants' Resilience to Severe COVID-19

Researchers are studying why infants seem to avoid severe COVID-19 infections, with hospitalization rates for infants dropping to under 1 per 100,000 earlier this year. A recent study found that infants produce strong and durable antibody responses against SARS-CoV-2, with antibodies remaining at relatively high levels for nearly a year. Infants also did not develop the same inflammatory response in the blood as adults, suggesting that the battle between the immune system and the virus primarily occurs in the nasal passages. The reason for the longer-lasting antibodies in infants is unclear, but it may be related to their reliance on the innate immune response. These findings could inform the development of nasal vaccines that mimic the immune response seen in infants.